


Masked Up

by Joycee



Series: Hospital 'Verse [4]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexuality, Cancer, Death, Doctors & Physicians, Explicit Sexual Content, Hospitals, Infection, M/M, Nurses & Nursing, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-11 02:36:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7023649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joycee/pseuds/Joycee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Peter Burke and Nurse Neal Caffrey are lovers who work on the Oncology service. A devastating infection sweeping through the hospital endangers patients and staff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dr. Peter Burke, chief resident of the Oncology service, left the hospital and arrived at June's mansion in time to have a late dinner with his friends, June Ellington and Neal Caffrey. Neal was a student nurse and Peter's lover. June was Neal's landlady and benefactor.

June invited, "Please catch me up on the latest hospital gossip, you two, while we enjoy our meal."

Neal began, "I have the cutest new patient. Her name is Penny. She's a teenager with leukemia. Her boyfriend, named Nate, is also very young and he just worships her. They are both so in love."

June thought of Neal nursing his girlfriend Kate before she died and sighed, "Well, I hope she will get well so they can stay together and live happily ever after."

"Well, I don't think Neal knows this yet, but I have a new intern in addition to Clinton Jones. Her name is Selena Thomas," Peter confided.

"Really? What's she like? Is she good looking? Is she nice? Is she smart?" Neal enthused.

Peter chuckled, "Yes, yes, and yes, she is. I think you will be impressed."

"Well, it's a good thing because Clinton can't keep his mind off of that social services worker, Isabelle Wilson," joked Neal.

"Oh, is Dr. Jones in love? I'm so happy for him. He always seemed a little lonely to me," June said approvingly.

"Want to hear some real gossip? I hear Isabelle has an ex-husband with a bad temper," Neal disclosed.

"Oh? Does Jones know that? Do you think it's anything to worry about, Neal?" asked Peter with concern.

"Don't know," Neal shrugged. "Scott Rivers, the medical student, and Nurse Pierce Spelman were talking about it, but I don't think Clinton was there right then. I guess we could warn him."

Peter followed up, "So are Scott and Pierce dating now? He seems to be quite taken with her."

Neal replied snarkily, "Oh, he is, but you know how flirty Pierce is, so I don't know how long it will last. Nurse Lauren Cruz is really jealous, too. She claims that she saw him first!"

June smiled, "Oh, I love hospital romances. Speaking of that, it's time for me to retire and leave you two to amuse yourselves."

Neal responded, "Thanks, June. You're the best! I feel so lucky that you came into my life."

June gave him a little hug and said, "I believe things happen for a reason, Neal. You remind me so much of my late husband Byron and you have brought a lot of joy into this house."

"You mean like Peter?" teased Neal impudently. He skipped off toward the stairs, leaving June and Peter smiling and shaking their heads.

When they got up to Neal's rooms on the top floor of the mansion, Peter hugged Neal and observed fondly, "You're in a good mood tonight. It's nice to see you relaxed and happy again."

Neal dramatically unzipped his pants and revealed a burgeoning erection. He quipped, "Can't keep a good man down."

"Who would want to?" Peter teased back. "What do you want to do with that? Got any good ideas?"

Neal gave him a salacious smirk and assured, "I'm sure we'll think of something. I showed you mine. It's your turn to show me yours now."

"Oh, so it's show and tell time, is it?" Peter exposed himself and rubbed up against Neal. "How's this?"

Neal pulled Peter's shirt open and kissed his neck and chest, biting lightly at his nipples. Peter grunted and tangled one hand in Neal's silky hair, bringing him in closer with his other arm. Neal pulled back and whipped their shirts off and murmured, "Let's go to bed and act out one of my wet dreams."

Peter giggled, "Now what would that be? Do you dream of me when I'm not here?"

Neal continued kissing and nipping and purred, "Mmmhmm. Come here and I'll show you. Sit on the bed with your back to the headboard. I'm going to climb onto your lap."

When Neal settle comfortably between Peter's legs with his back to him, Peter curled his arms around Neal's waist. He mused, "Now what is this position?"

"Feel me, Peter," Neal invited. Peter caressed Neal's rigid cock, but Neal guided his hand down so Peter could discover that Neal had already prepared himself for sex. He whispered, "I got ready for you before you came home for dinner. I want to sit on your big hard dick."

Peter thrilled and managed to slip on a condom and lube his index finger, which he swiped quickly over Neal's slicked opening. He used one strong arm to pull Neal back onto his cock, which was throbbing with anticipation. Neal squirmed until he was firmly settled and then began to slowly move his hips.

Both men groaned with pleasure. Neal tucked his legs up under himself and gripped his own dick firmly. He began bobbing up and down on his knees, fucking himself on Peter's stiff penis and jerking off at the same time.

Peter planted his hands on both sides of Neal's rib cage and helped him to balance. He cried incoherently, "Oh my god. Oh Neal! Oh fuck. Oh! Fuck! Neal!" 

At last Peter stopped Neal and bent him forward onto the bed so he could pound into him. He reached underneath Neal to encourage his weeping aching cock. Neal relaxed and leaned on his arms for a moment. Then he raised up and clenched around Peter's urgent jackhammer.

Peter burst into a searing orgasm that blinded him with its intensity. He pumped Neal urgently and Neal began writhing and screaming with pleasure as he reached his own peak. He convulsed in ecstatic jerks until he was completely spent.

Neal fell face down limp onto the bed and Peter slipped out of him. He disposed of the condom and slid around so he could lie next to Neal. He helped Neal to unfold himself and they lay on their backs sided by side, still overwhelmed by their intense lovemaking.

Peter reached over and took Neal's hand and squeezed it. He sighed, "Oh wow, that was an amazing dream you had!"

Neal giggled weakly, "Told you. I can't believe how incredible it felt to sink down onto your hard cock."

"Yeah, it felt wonderful to me, too," Peter yawned, overcome with sleepiness after such strenuous sex. He squeezed Neal's hand again.

Neal turned his face toward Peter and mumbled sleepily, "I love you. Night, Peter."

They barely moved all night. In the morning, the only thing that had changed was that Neal had roiled over on his side to lie against Peter. Neal's ass was painfully sore from the rough treatment it had been subjected to, but Neal didn't mind. It felt like a subtle reminder of how exciting their sex had been. His cock felt well used, too.

Peter woke up and looked at Neal tenderly. He turned and opened his arms, inviting, "Come here, you. Cuddle with me for a minute before we have to get up."

Neal happily complied. He buried his head in Peter's neck and Peter petted him lovingly. He said, "I'll be thinking of you all day today as I do my work."

Neal laughed, "Yeah, I don't think I'll be sitting down today. It's going to be hard enough to walk!"

"Oh, did we play too rough?" asked Peter with concern. "Did we hurt you, Neal?" 

"A little, but in a good way. Don't worry, Peter. I'm fine." Neal yawned and stretched luxuriously. "Better than fine actually!"

Peter slid out of bed and called, "Race you to the shower then, slowpoke."

Neal rushed to join him and they embraced comfortably as they washed and readied themselves for a busy day. Neal teased, "My turn to shave first. You have to fix breakfast."

When they arrived on the Oncology floor at the hospital, they were surprised to see a new nurse in addition to the new intern. Neal immediately walked up to the two attractive women and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Neal Caffrey, student nurse."

They looked him over appreciatively. The dark haired woman in a short white jacket over her stylish dress put her hand out to shake. "I'm Selena Thomas, Dr. Burke's new intern."

The shorter curvier blonde in a green scub suit smirked coquettishly, "And I'm Taryn Vandersant, RN. Looking forward to working with you, Neal."

Sara Ellis, Head Nurse for Oncology, interrupted, "Good, now, we have a couple of new admissions, John Mitchell and Juliana Laszlo. Neal, will you work with Taryn to get their histories and make them comfortable? Mr. Mitchell has lung cancer and Miss Laszlo is another hematology patient - um, lymphoma. They are both here for chemo."

Neal always enjoyed meeting new patients and he knew that, with these two along with Penny Chase who was admitted yesterday, he would be very busy. He forgot about his aching ass and got to work.

Neal suggested that he and Taryn make a quick check of the patients they already had before starting on the admissions. He looked anxiously over his shoulder as he noticed Peter leading Dr. Selena Thomas in the opposite direction. He didn't like the way she had been seductively leaning into him and giving him her rapt attention, as Peter reviewed the patients' medical records with her.

As usual, Penny Chase's young boyfriend Nate Osbourne was hovering over her. He quickly self consciously jumped up from her bed when Neal entered the room. Penny giggled, "Good morning, Dr. Caffrey."

Neal corrected her gently, "I'm Nurse Caffrey and I'm still a student. I want you to call me Neal."

Penny blushed and demurely corrected, "Okay, Neal. Do I start my chemotherapy today? Is it going to make me sick? Am I going to lose my hair?"

Neal smiled patiently. They had gone over those questions the day before. He answered, "Yes, your first dose of chemo is today. It will probably make you feel a little tired, maybe kind of achy. You probably won't lose your hair after the first treatment, but that may happen as they continue. Don't worry, though. It will grow back as lovely as ever."

Nate said truculently, "She doesn't want to lose her hair, Doctor."

Neal replied calmly, "I'm a nurse, remember? The hair loss, if it occurs, will be temporary. You'll be surprised how beautiful your girlfriend will still look. It's not a high price to pay for a cure, is it?"

Nate replied belligerently, "Oh yeah. You're a STUDENT nurse, aren't you. Can't Penny at least have a real professional nurse assigned to her? And what if the chemo doesn't work? Then what, Nurse Neal?"

Neal looked him in the eye and replied confidently, "Ms. Ellis, our head nurse, and Ms. Berrigan, my clinical nursing instructor, both supervise my work very closely. Penny is getting the benefit of special attention by having me assigned to her. I understand your anxiety, Nate. I had a girlfriend with leukemia, too."

"Had?" questioned Nate bluntly. "What happened? Did you break up or did she die?"

Neal winced a little. He reached out to rest his hand gently on Penny's shoulder and replied quietly, "Kate died, but her disease was very advanced before she began treatment. Penny has just been diagnosed and chemo treatments are getting more advanced, so her prognosis is very optimistic."

"But I might die?" asked Penny in a small voice, her lower lip trembling. "I don't mind losing my hair if it means I'll be cured. Nate, don't worry. It'll grow back, like Neal says."

Neal's heart ached for her and he soothed, "Don't you worry, pretty girl. We are going to do everything we possibly can to make sure you walk out of this hospital with your leukemia in full remission."

She asked, "In remission? Is that the same thing as cured, Neal? Did your girlfriend really die? Did you love her very much?"

"I loved her so much, just like Nate loves you," Neal smiled. "She's the reason I'm becoming a nurse, so I can help other people going through what she did and help them have a better outcome. A remission means that all your symptoms are gone and there are no signs of cancer. We won't know if it might come back, though, so you'll be getting frequent check ups. If no cancer cells return in five years, you will be considered cured for good."

"You mean she's going to have cancer for five years?" Nate asked incredulously.

Neal was becoming a little impatient because he had to meet Taryn to admit their new patients, but he knew it was important to help Nate and Penny understand her condition. He suggested, "That's not what I mean. Why I don't I bring you some more information about leukemia and its treatment and we can all sit down and discuss it this afternoon."

Penny looked exhausted. She nodded, "Thank you, Neal. That would be great. It's all just a little overwhelming right now, and I feel so tired."

Neal patted her and smiled reassuringly. He gave Nate a significant look. "The most important thing right now is for you to rest and relax and keep a positive attitude. You'll need your strength to tolerate your chemo treatments. I'll be back in a little while, but you can press your call button if you need me, or Nate can come ask for me at the Nurses Station."

Nate looked mollified and he sat back down on the side of Penny's bed to stroke her hair as Neal left the room. He was cooing, "It's gonna be okay, baby. I'm gonna be right here with you.

Neal quickly wiped away the tear that came to his eye as he went to find Taryn. She was waiting for him and they started out together for Julianna Laszlo's room. Neal thought to himself, _"Another young woman with a blood cancer. This is going to be a hard day for me emotionally."_


	2. Chapter 2

When Neal and Taryn entered Julianna Laszlo's room, they could immediately appreciate the reason for her admission. The left side of her neck was swollen with a clump of lumpy lymph nodes. She was pale and blond and appeared fragile in her hospital gown. Neal was drawn to her immediately.

While they examined and interviewed their attractive young patient, Neal became aware that Taryn was brushing her hand against him and flirting with her eyes. He was amused, but the gestures were unwelcome. He was effectively ignoring her until he felt her hand on his ass. Neal turned to her quickly and found her grinning with mocking amusement.

"Is something the matter, Neal? You seem a little jumpy," she giggled flirtatiously.

Neal looked at Julianna to see whether she was aware of Taryn's overtures toward him, but she didn't seem to be. He replied levelly, "No Taryn. I'm trying to concentrate on our patient."

Julianna gave him a shy little smile and said, "Nobody ever pays much attention to me since my grandmother died last year."

"Well, here, you are the center of attention," Neal assured her smoothly. "Now, how long have you had the swelling on your neck?"

"Oh, I know it looks like they must have been there for a long time, but really they just came up really fast. One day I thought I might have a swollen gland and in a couple of days, they looked like this. That's what made me go to Dr. Hughes to find out what they were. He told me I have lymphoma."

While Taryn checked Julianna's blood pressure, Neal nodded and asked, "How do you feel? Have you had other symptoms?"

"Not really," the girl replied. "I mean I've been a little tired, but I thought that was because I was having night sweats and chills so I wasn't sleeping well. I didn't know those were signs of lymphoma."

Taryn finished recording her notes and told Neal, "Meet you back at the Nurses Station in a few, handsome. Don't take too long."

Neal was annoyed with her flippant tone and inappropriate familiarity with him, but he took a calming breath and returned his focus to his patient. He asked kindly, "Do you understand the treatment that you will be receiving? Can I answer any questions for you?"

Julianna frowned and admitted, "I don't really know much about it, but I trust Dr. Hughes. I have to have a PET scan. Then he's going to do a biopsy to confirm my diagnosis, and then I'll start a course of chemotherapy."

"Okay. Well, as you go through the chemo injections, you may have some unpleasant side effects. I want you to be sure to tell us about them so we can help to relieve them with medication and supportive measures," Neal instructed her.

"You'd better go meet your girlfriend before she gets annoyed," offered Julianna. "I'm okay for now."

Neal tried not to let his annoyance show. He rebutted, "Taryn is not my girlfriend. I'm a student nurse and she is the RN assigned to your case. I only met her this morning."

"Oh, you're so good looking. I guess she'd like to be your girlfriend," Julianna observed with a little twinkle in her eye.

Neal felt his cheeks redden a little and he excused himself as soon as he could, promising to return later.

When he found Taryn at the Nurses Station gossiping with Nurse Lauren Cruz about Dr. Clinton Jones's girlfriend Isabelle, he felt annoyed. He told her coldly, "I didn't appreciate your unprofessional behavior in there, Nurse Vandersant. I expect to be treated as a professional."

Neal noticed Lauren's amused smile as Taryn chided casually, "Oh come on, Caffrey. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I was just being friendly."

He realized that any reaction he showed was just going to be fuel for a story for Lauren to spread among the staff, so he replied briskly, "Well, then, shall we go see Mr. John Mitchell?"

It wasn't surprising that John Mitchell was admitted for treatment of lung cancer. He had a smoker's hoarse voice and hacking cough. Neal and Taryn both knew that he had a serious form of the disease and would need surgery, radiation and chemo if he was going to have any chance to live.

After they checked him over and discussed his condition with him, Mitchell gave them a friendly smile. "You're both very nice. Please call me Johnny. You know, I'm almost more concerned about my wife Dana than I am about myself. She's so worried. She keeps crying. I know she believes I'm going to die."

Neal asked, "Do you want us to talk with her? Is she here in the hospital now?"

"Oh yes, she won't leave while I'm here. She went downstairs to visit with her friend Elizabeth Mitchell, the Administrator's Assistant," Johnny explained.

"Oh, are you related to Elizabeth Mitchell?" asked Neal, surprised that no one had mentioned that.

Johnny chuckled, "No, she and Dana were good friends before I ever met Dana. It's just a coincidence. I expect people here will be confused about it, though."

Taryn volunteered, "I'll make a note of it on your medical record if you like. That way everyone won't keep asking you about it."

Neal added, "Don't forget. We'll be happy to talk with her any time. I hope we can reassure her that you are in good hands with Dr. Fowler and Dr. Hagan."

Johnny had a coughing fit and became short of breath so Taryn adjusted his oxygen and suggested they leave him alone for awhile. As they left the room, Neal felt Taryn firmly squeeze his ass. In the hall, she leered, "Mmm, Caffrey. You are a delicious treat!"

Neal was infuriated but tried to control his reaction. He said tensely, "Taryn, please. You're touches are unwelcome. I'm asking you to stop."

"Oh yeah, yeah. You know you love it. Or are you gay? You're not going to report me, are you?" laughed Taryn mockingly.

Neal fumed as he went to take his break. He wanted to find Peter and ask him what he should do. He knew he should really tell his instructor Ms. Berrigan or the head nurse Sara Ellis, but he didn't want to be seen as a tattletale.

When Neal told Peter what had been going on, Peter chuckled and and told him, "That's funny. I've been getting similar treatment from Selena Thomas. She may have been a little less crude, but she has made it more than clear that she is interested in me."

"I knew it!" Neal exclaimed jealously. "I saw how she was looking at you this morning."

Peter smiled indulgently, "Neal, calm down. You have nothing to be upset about. I'm not interested her at all."

"But she is a very attractive woman, and you said last night that she was smart and nice, too," Neal protested.

"And so is Taryn Vandersant, isn't she?" Peter reminded him. "If we just calmly let them know that we don't appreciate their flirtations and then just ignore them, I think they will soon get discouraged and quit."

"I guess so," Neal conceded reluctantly. "I don't like being treated like a prime cut of meat, though. I wouldn't appreciate it even if I weren't already in love with you."

"Are you sure about that?" Peter teased. "Maybe you'd be all over Taryn, asking her out and trying to seduce her."

"Peter! I'm not like that," Neal huffed. "You should know me better than that."

"Well, you seduced me," Peter said slyly, "and I fell for you. Isn't that right? Come on, let's get back to work. I'll try to meet you for lunch. Tell Taryn you already have a date if she asks you to go with her."

Neal laughed in spite of himself and headed back to check on Penny Chase again. The rest of his morning went by quickly. He managed to avoid the intrusive Taryn and stayed away from the Nurses Station as much as he could. 

Peter came around to find him for lunch and Neal saw Lauren whispering to Taryn as they walked away. He actually hoped that Lauren was telling her that Neal and Peter were together. Surely then she would leave him alone.

As soon as they sat down at a table with their meals, Neal's friend Mozzie joined them. He said excitedly, "You should have been here a little while ago. You missed quite a scene. Elizabeth was here with a friend who just couldn't stop crying. Apparently her husband is deathly ill."

"Oh, I think I know who she is," Neal realized. "I'm taking care of her husband. He's worried about how upset she is."

Peter groaned, "Better you than me, buddy. You know I can't cope with women in tears."

Neal gave him a fond look and teased, "Well, at least Peter Burke has one weakness."

They continued to chat with Mozzie and finished their lunches. Peter winked at Neal as they left the cafeteria. He promised, "I'm going to get away early today. Do you want to go out to dinner with me?"

Neal grinned enthusiastically, "Sure I do. In fact, if you have the night off, let's go get a drink first."

When Peter came around looking for Neal at the end of his shift, Neal was still busy preparing his lung cancer patient for his surgery. He waved at Peter and suggested, "Meet you across the street in about an hour? I still have to write my notes."

Peter nodded and agreed, "Sure, I can use a little time to catch up on reading my journals."

It took Neal a little longer because Johnny's weepy wife Dana came in just as he was leaving. Neal felt sorry for the poor stressed out woman so he spent a few minutes calming and sympathizing with her. When he left, she was holding her husband's hand and they were watching an old sitcom on television.

Neal decided to stop and see if Elizabeth was in her office on his way out of the hospital. He wanted to ask her about her friend and get her take on the situation. Elizabeth was just about to leave, but she greeted him cheerily.

They discussed Johnny and Dana for a few minutes and then Elizabeth asked, "Have you heard that we've had a couple of surgical patients with antibiotic resistant infections? Vincent is really alarmed about it. He's called in an infectious disease specialist for a consult."

Neal asked a few questions and then said goodbye to Elizabeth and hurried across the street to meet Peter. He was distressed to see Taryn and Selena sitting together at a table near Peter. Neal really didn't want to be bothered by either of them so he caught Peter's eye and motioned for him to leave. 

They decided on a Thai restaurant they both liked. Peter accused Neal of being a coward and Neal reminded him that he had faced the tearful Dana a little while earlier. That reminded him about what Elizabeth had told him.

"Peter, have you heard the news that there have been a couple of cases of MRSA in the hospital?" asked Neal, his concerned excitement evident in his voice.

Peter replied gravely, "That is terrible news for us. We are going to have to take every possible measure to protect our vulnerable oncology patients."


	3. Chapter 3

After dinner, Neal suggested that they go see a movie, something they rarely found time for because of their busy careers. One of the stars in the movie they saw looked remarkably like Neal. He was flattered when Peter pointed that out. 

They opened a bottle of fine brandy when they got home and comfortably discussed the movie they had just seen, and their patients, and Taryn's and Selena's intrusive flirting.

Neal worried, "I don't think I did anything to encourage her. I certainly didn't mean to. I guess she is used to men responding to her."

"I'm sure you didn't, Neal. Anyway, you asked her explicitly to stop. She should respect that," Peter assured him seriously.

"What about Dr. Thomas? Is she still pursuing you, Peter?" Neal asked anxiously.

"Oh Neal, I don't think she was serious. She's probably just used to flattering men to get ahead in her profession," Peter demurred.

"Is it working for her?" Neal asked suspiciously. Then he chuckled, "I think maybe Lauren Cruz told Taryn about us when you came and got me for lunch. Then we saw Taryn and Selena together after work. That should stop them. Sometimes a little gossip isn't such a bad thing."

Finally, their conversation turned to the antibiotic resistant infections threatening the hospital. Peter explained that cancer patients were particularly susceptible due to their weakened immunity from their disease and its treatments.

Neal asked, "And is it worse for them if they do get it? I mean, for the same reasons that it is easier for them to get it, it's also harder for them to fight it off, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's right. Antibiotic resistant infections are dangerous for anyone, and they can quickly progress to life threatening sepsis. They are a deadly threat to our susceptible patients because of their weakened immune systems," Peter confirmed. "Hopefully, they will be able to confine it so it doesn't spread to the Oncology floor."

"Elizabeth mentioned that Adler has called in an expert infectious disease consultant," Neal remembered.

"Did she give a name? I wonder if it could be Amanda Calloway? I used to date her," Peter mused.

Neal finished his brandy and got up to hug Peter. He teased, "Looks like I'm going to have to keep you very happy. There are women all over the place who'd love to get their hands on you."

Peter laughed, "I'm the one who should be worried. You are the guy that looks like a movie star."

They tumbled into bed and topped off a pleasurable evening with some companionable sex. Peter murmured romantically, "Neal, I've never been happier in my life."

Neal was momentarily overcome with emotion. He gulped, "Oh Peter, after Kate, I didn't know if I would ever be able to love again. Now I know I can and I do. I love you."

Peter pulled him in protectively. He whispered, "I won't hurt you, I promise. You can trust me with your heart."

Neal nuzzled him and snuggled up against him happily. He said sincerely, "Nobody knows better than I do that there are no guarantees in life, but I'm going to try to enjoy every day we have together."

When they went to work in the morning, they were met by the Medical Director of the Oncology service Dr. Reese Hughes and Head Nurse Sara Ellis. They were shepherding people arriving for the day shift toward an empty meeting room used for staff conferences.

When everyone was there, Dr. Hughes explained, "The night shift agreed to stay long enough for us to have this meeting with all of you. You may have heard that there has been an outbreak of MRSA in this hospital. I'm sure you all appreciate the risk that presents to our fragile cancer patients. Administrator Adler has called in an expert in infectious diseases to help us manage the situation."

A tall honey blonde woman dressed in a light blue business suit stepped forward. Hughes continued, "This is Dr. Amanda Calloway. She is going to advise and direct us through this outbreak. I expect you to give her your complete cooperation. As you know, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a range of illnesses, from skin and wound infections to pneumonia and bloodstream infections that can cause sepsis and death. Staph bacteria, including MRSA, are one of the most common causes of healthcare associated infections."

Dr. Calloway proceeded, "I want to start by being certain that you are all clear about what we are dealing with and I am going to quote directly from the Center for Disease Control's 2013 report, _Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States._ The CDC estimates that in the US more than two million people are sickened every year with antibiotic-resistant infections, with at least 23,000 dying as a result. Many more die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection."

She went on, "You may not realize that up to 50% of all the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed or are not optimally effective as prescribed. As a result of overuse, new organisms are developing which are resistant to the drugs that are commonly used to treat them. This is a problem since many advances in medical treatment—such as joint replacements, organ transplants, cancer therapy, and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis—are dependent on the ability to treat infections with antibiotics."

Her audience of health care professionals paid close attention as she reminded them, "Patients with resistant infections are much more likely to die, and survivors have signicantly longer hospital stays, delayed recuperation, and long-term disability. Therefore, it is critical that we monitor and aggressively treat our patients for infection."

She concluded by explaining, "An infection occurs when germs enter a person’s body and multiply, causing illness, organ and tissue damage, or disease. For cancer patients, an infection can turn serious, or even deadly, very fast. Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. For a person with cancer, any infection anywhere in the body can lead to sepsis."

Dr. Hughes stepped forward again and made clear, "The implication for us is that we must closely monitor our patients for signs of infection and sepsis and institute strict infection control procedures including aggressive hand washing as well as gowning and gloving and wearing masks when working with our most susceptible patients. I want each of you to record and report any signs and symptoms you find in your patients."

Sara Ellis asked, "Are there any questions before we get to work this morning?"

Taryn Vandersant asked poutily, "You mean you expect us to wear masks, gloves and gowns every time we go in a patient's room? What about their visitors?"

Sara responded strictly, "Yes, you will gown and glove and put masks on after scrubbing your hands. Visitors will be kept to a small number of immediate family and they will follow the same procedures."

Instructor Diana Berrigan noted, "I hope you will allow my nursing students to participate. This will be a valuable learning experience for them. Perhaps I could volunteer Neal to teach family members how to use the proper isolation techniques."

"That would be very helpful. Thank you, Ms. Berrigan, and Mr. Caffrey," Dr. Hughes accepted.

Neal ignored the bored sneers of Taryn and Lauren. He was excited to play a role in the crisis and he liked relating to patients' families. Peter beamed at him fondly. 

As they walked back onto the floor, Neal said nervously, "I think I know the signs of infection, like fever, chills, pain, swelling, redness, cough or sore throat; but how can you know if it's sepsis?"

"Well, there is an acronym," Peter smiled. "S-shivering; E-extreme pain; P-paleness; S-Sleepy; I- _I feel like I'm going to die;_ S-Short of breath."

Neal wondered, " _I feel like I'm gonna die_? Really?"

Peter nodded, "Yes, many patients will actually say that or something like _This is the worst I have ever felt_."

"Oh, that must be awful," Neal empathized. "Do we know if any of our Oncology patients are already infected, or are we just trying to prevent that?"

"I think Dr. Calloway will recommend culturing everyone, including the patients, visitors and staff. We need to be alert to detect any signs of infection in our patients and we need to prevent it from spreading," Peter explained. "Are you familiar with gowning and gloving techniques, buddy?"

"Oh yes, and Ms. Berrigan is going to go over it again with me. I'll be a real expert by the time I finish teaching all the visitors!" Neal realized.

Peter winked at him and quipped, "See one, do one, and teach one. That's a time honored tradition."

They noticed Lauren and Taryn tittering as they came near. Peter whispered intensely, "Just ignore them, lover."

Neal teased, "I'm still going to keep my eye on you and Dr. Amanda Calloway. I saw how she looked at you."

Intern Selena Thomas walked up and proprietarily took Peter's arm. Neal rolled his eyes and left them to get to work. Taryn caught up to him and smirked, "So, you really are gay. No wonder you didn't show any interest in me. Such a shame. It's a waste really. I wonder if Dr. Thomas knows she's wasting her time on your boyfriend."

Neal lost his composure momentarily and snarled, "You just leave me alone, Taryn. My personal life is none of your business, and neither is Peter's!"

He immediately felt embarrassed and regretted his reaction to her provocation. He muttered, "Let's just take care of our patients, okay? That's why we're here."

"Sure," Taryn chirped flippantly. "Maybe you can teach me some of your techniques."

Neal turned and walked away before his temper boiled over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013_  
>  http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf#page=6
> 
> Sepsis Alliance:  
> http://www.sepsis.org/sepsis_and/cancer/
> 
>  _Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control in Acute Care Settings_  
>  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021207/


	4. Chapter 4

Neal found Nate Osboutne perched on Penny Chase's bed as usual. He greeted him, "Good morning, friend. I'm going to teach you how to wear some protective gear while you're visiting Penny. First, let's scrub our hands thoroughly."

Neal gowned and gloved and made sure his mask was firmly in place over his mouth and nose. Penny giggled at him, "You look silly. Does Nate really have to wear that, too?"

Neal affirmed gently, "Yes, it's for your protection. The chemo is depressing your white blood cell count and making you more susceptible to infections. It also makes you weaker and less able to fight off an infection. So it is critical for us to be sure you don't get one."

Nate asked, "Can I still kiss her, though? I have to show her how much I love her, don't I?"

Penney gazed at him adoringly. "I know you love me, Nate. Just as much as I love you!"

Neal suggested, "You can still cuddle, even though you can't kiss right now. Just keep telling Penny how special she is and help her get through this treatment so she can get well."

"You mean in remission," Penny reminded him. Neal patted her arm and answered, "A permanent remission, we hope."

Nate challenged, "And if it isn't, she dies anyway?" Neal shook his head vigorously, "No, if she has a recurrence, we will treat her again."

Penney sighed sleepily, "Can I have a nap now? I'm really tired."

"Of course, you can. Just let me check your temperature. If you start to feel feverish or achy, please let me know right away. Okay?"

Nate lay down beside his girlfriend and stroked her hair soothingly. Neal noticed that Penny was starting to shed her hair already and he knew it would all be gone in a day or two, but he chose not to mention it right then.

Neal took off his protective gear and went down the hall to see Johnny and Dana Mitchell. On the way, Sara stopped him to let him know that she had a couple of patients with family members for him to instruct on isolation technique. Neal asked if there was any way he could meet with several of them at once and Sara agreed to try to get a group together for him.

Neal meticulously washed his hands and gowned and gloved before entering Johnny's room. Through his mask, he explained to them both that Dana would need to follow the same procedure. That provoked another crying jag, which Neal hurried to contain. 

Neal also notified Johnny that his surgery was going to be put off for a day or two while the risk of infection was high. Johnny accepted the news calmly, but Dana worried, "Will that affect his prognosis? Isn't it important to get the cancer out right away?"

Neal assured her that a day or so would not have much effect, but in his heart, he knew that Johnny's chances of a cure were very low, even with the surgery. He remembered that there was always hope, though, however slim. 

He adjusted Johnny's oxygen and IV and cautioned him to promptly report any worsening of his symptoms. He promised to return a little later to check on him.

Peter and Selena went to see the new patient who had come in overnight. His name was Jason Lang and he was a professional photographer. He had been experiencing severe headaches and tremors in his hand. Dr. Hughes had diagnosed a brain tumor. 

Peter and Selena carefully washed their hands and donned masks, paper gowns over their clothing, and surgical gloves. Lang looked at them quizzically and questioned, "Am I going to have my surgery right now? I just got here."

Peter chuckled. His kind brown eyes looked out over his mask. He reassured, "No, Jason, we are just taking extra precautions against infection these days."

They examined him thoroughly, with Peter supervising and instructing Selena. After they left the room, he noted casually, "Our rounds are going to take longer with all this dressing and undressing."

Selena flirted, "I'd love to see you undressed, Peter. That must be quite a sight. You're not married, are you?"

Peter replied curtly, "I am in a committed relationship and I would appreciate it if you would behave professionally."

She sighed coquettishly, "I guess a girl doesn't stand a chance against that gorgeous nursing student of yours."

"Neal is not my student, he is my lover," Peter replied irritably. "As I said, I would prefer that you limit your conversation to clinical matters."

"Of course, Dr. Burke," Selena sighed insincerely, "I'll try to keep my mind off your sexy physique and concentrate on your brilliant mind."

They met up with Neal at the Nurses Station around noon. His face was buried in his patients' medical records. Peter lightly placed a proprietary hand on his shoulder and asked, "Ready for some lunch, Dr. Schweitzer?"

"Dr. Livingston, I presume," Neal joked back. "Actually, Sara arranged a group of several patients for me to talk to about infection control. I'm afraid I'll have to miss lunch."

"Mmm, want me to bring you something? You know you shouldn't skip meals, Neal," Peter worried.

Taryn said to Selena in a stage whisper, "Aren't they just too adorable?"

Lauren tittered, but Sara gave them all a stern look. Selena said with exaggerated seriousness, "Doctor Burke prefers that we keep things professional."

Peter snapped, "That's right, I do. If you two don't stop with the gratuitous remarks, I'll have a talk with Dr. Hughes."

As he walked away, Neal ducked his head to avoid their stares. Sara told them, "He means that, too, and Dr. Hughes will back him up, so please just stop. Things are complicated enough with this MRSA outbreak."

After his training session with the visitors, Neal went back to recheck Julianna's temperature. It had been slightly elevated the last time he took it. He was alarmed to find she had developed a fever of 101 degrees. He asked anxiously, "Julianna, how are you feeling?"

She smiled up at him wanly and confessed, "I'm feeling pretty achy. I had some chills, but now I'm sweating. This used to happen sometimes at home before I knew I had lymphoma."

Neal checked, "Has Dr. Calloway been in to culture you yet? We need to be sure you aren't getting an infection. Your chemo has left you in a weakened state and you are very vulnerable."

"Gee, I don't think so," Julianna replied. "I'm not sure, actually. Everyone looks alike in the masks and the gowns."

"Except for me," teased Neal. "I'm going to ask Dr. Hughes if I can give you a fever reducer to make you more comfortable. In any case, I'll bring an extra blanket for you. If you'd like, I can give you a cool or warm sponge bath, too."

"Thanks, Neal," Julianna said brightly. "You cheer me up. My uncle decided he's not going to visit while this infection thing is going on. He doesn't want to wear the protective stuff."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like me to talk to him about it?" sympathized Neal.

"No, thank you. He isn't much company anyway. I think it's just an excuse for him not to be bothered," Julianna admitted.

"Well, then he is a fool." Neal promised sincerely, "You can have as much attention from me as you need."

Finally, an hour after his shift was supposed to be over, Neal met with Diana Berrigan to review his cases. She praised his efforts with the visitors and advised him to watch his patients very closely for any signs of MRSA.

Neal considered confiding in her about Taryn's and Selena's inappropriate innuendos, but decided against it. He hoped that Peter's and Sara's admonitions would be enough to stop them.

Peter was still tied up performing a minor procedure, so Neal decided to wait for him in the bar across the street. At the elevator, Dana Mitchell joined up with him. Her face was puffy and her eyes were red rimmed, but she wasn't crying. She asked, "Could I talk to you for a minute, Neal? I'm just so worried."

Neal paused for a moment and then suggested, "Why don't we see if Elizabeth is free and we can all get a drink together."

"Oh, that would be perfect!" Dana sighed gratefully. "I could really use a drink and Elizabeth always helps me feel better. She's such a good friend."

Elizabeth was glad to get away from her demanding boss and heavy workload. She also appreciated Neal taking an interest in her friend. The three of them walked across the street to the popular bar. 

As soon as they walked in, Neal winced as he noticed Taryn and Selena sitting together at a table. He remembered seeing them there before and he decided they must be becoming good friends. He just hoped he could avoid any conversation with them.

Neal ordered a carafe of Chablis to share with his friends. He listened as Elizabeth and Dana caught up a little bit before the subject turned to Johnny's prognosis. Dana's tears returned as she mourned, "Johnny is going to die, isn't he? I know it. I mean, Dr. Hagan is going to do the surgery if this infection threat clears up and Dr. Fowler says he can have radiation and chemo, too, but I know his prognosis is really bad."

Elizabeth tried to intervene, pointing out, "Sweetie, Neal can't tell you that. No one can. You just need to be strong and have faith."

As Neal was about to concur, Taryn made her way over to their table. She was obviously a little tipsy. She grabbed Neal's arm and said sloppily, "Hey ladies. Didn't you know? Neal's not interested in our fair sex."

Elizabeth responded coldly, "Well, we are not interested in sex at all right now. You are being rather rude."

"Ooh, now I'm beginning to see why Peter dumped you for Neal. He did, didn't he?" Taryn sniped nastily.

Both Neal and Elizabeth were stunned. Before they could react, Dana reached out and slapped Taryn's face. She seethed, "How dare you?"

Neal quickly drained his glass and grabbed the two ladies, pulling them toward the door. Taryn stood there laughing hysterically. Neal could see Selena smirking in the background.

As soon as they were outside, Neal stammered, "Oh, I-I'm so sorry. I can't believe she said that!"

Dana proclaimed proudly, "Well, I'm not sorry! She deserved to be slapped."

Elizabeth glanced miserably at Neal. They both realized that word of the incident would spread rapidly through the hospital's grapevine and fuel more gossip. They didn't have the heart to spoil Dana's momentary lift in mood, though.

Neal said goodnight, reminding Dana to use proper isolation tecnique when she went back to Johnny's room. He asked Elizabeth, "Would you mind letting Peter know I'll be waiting for him at home?"

Neal wearily climbed the stairs to his rooms on the top floor of June's mansion, relieved that she did not seem to be at home. He felt exhausted, so he stripped off his clothes, took a comforting warm shower and slipped into his sleep pants.

When Peter arrived home about an hour later, Neal was curled up on the bed with a pillow sound asleep. Peter loved to watch Neal's beautiful face when he was resting peacefully, but he soon realized that Neal was sleeping fitfully. He sat down beside Neal and stroked his back.

Neal slowly woke up and squinted at Peter. He brightened up and complained, "Hey, I'm hungry! I missed lunch and dinner."


	5. Chapter 5

Neal was alarmed as soon as he walked into Julianna's room. His frail patient was sweating; her eyes were bright; and her cheeks were flushed. He noted when he checked her medical record that her temperature had risen during the night. When he checked it himself, it was 103 degrees. Her pulse was racing and her respiration and blood pressure were up slightly.

Dr. Hughes had already been in and left a note that no medication be given to reduce her fever since he wanted to monitor it accurately. He had also decided to postpone her next dose of chemo. Neal explained those orders to Julianna. She nodded weakly and confirmed, "I'm really feeling sick, Neal. Is this normal?"

Neal felt a little nervous. With the threat of MRSA in the hospital, he wasn't sure how to answer. He checked her medical record again and noted that Dr. Callaway had cultured her throat and her blood the day before. He was anxious to learn the results.

In the meantime, Neal tried to reassure Julianna and keep her comfortable. After a cool sponge bath, he gently rubbed lotion into her itchy skin. He carefully covered her to prevent a chill. He offered, "How about if I brush your pretty hair? That will help to make you feel a little better."

Julianna yawned and nodded, "Thank you. I feel much more relaxed now. If you bring me a mirror after I brush my hair, maybe I could put on a little lip gloss, too."

Neal teased, "You have natural beauty. You don't need any enhancement, but it might keep your lips from getting chapped so I guess that would be okay. Let's get you sitting in a chair so I can change your sheets. Do you feel up to that?"

She considered, "I guess I won't feel any worse sitting up than lying down. I might fall asleep, though."

Neal began combing her straight blonde hair and, to his dismay, it began to fall out by the handful. This was not an unexpected consequence of the chemo, but it was always startling to see so much hair shed so quickly. Julianna looked at his hand full of her hair and gasped, "Oh, my hair! Is it all coming out?"

Neal soothed, "It's okay. Remember we talked about this? It won't all come out right now, but you will lose it over the next day or so."

Julianna began sobbing, "Oh, I don't want to do this. I feel terrible and now I'm going to be bald and ugly. This is so depressing."

"You could never be ugly, Julianna. You're too pretty," reassured Neal professionally. He finished brushing and disposed of the hair collected by the brush. "If you like, I can get you a paper hat like mine to put on. Later on, when you are feeling better, you can wear a wig if you want to. The important thing is to get you well. Come on, I'll help you get up. Clean sheets will feel good. Okay?"

He watched as the sick girl pulled herself together and snuffled, "O-Okay. I guess so. I mean, sure. I'm being such a baby. I'm embarrassed."

"No, no. Julianna, you are allowed to have your feelings. I know it's hard to cope emotionally when you're feeling so sick. I think you are very brave," Neal sympathized.

She gave him a genuine smile and he handed her a tissue to wipe her tears. He asked gently, "Do you still want some lip gloss?"

Julianna looked chagrined. "Yeah, but I think I'll skip looking in the mirror right now."

Neal suggested, "How about if we do that together tomorrow morning. I promise it won't be as bad as you think it will. It will emphasize your beautiful blue eyes and fine bone structure. You will still be beautiful."

When he finished changing her bedsheets, she asked meekly, "Do you think I could get back in bed now?"

Neal helped tuck her in under the fresh linens. As he gathered up the old sheets to remove them from her room, he saw her turn and bury her face in the pillow. At the Nurses Station, he commented to Sara, "I hope losing her hair is the worst thing Julianna has to cope with. I'm concerned that she might have an infection."

Sara reminded him, "We'll get the culture results back and then Dr. Fowler or Dr. Calloway can prescribe some medication for her."

Neal nodded tentatively. He wondered how they would treat her if she really had an antibiotic resistant strain of _staphylococcus_. He decided to look for Peter and ask him. When he found Peter, he was head to head with his intern Selena Thomas deep in conversation. Selena's hand rested on Peter''s arm. Neal felt a piercing stab of jealously and withdrew unseen.

When he walked into John Mitchell's room, he was dismayed to find the man convulsing in a coughing fit. Neal rushed to his side and placed one hand on Johnny's back. He handed him a basin to spit into. He was producing copious amounts of thick yellow sputum. Neal's heart sank.

Johnny's temperature was elevated and he his eyes were dull. When he finally stopped coughing, he lay back in the bed weakly. He was definitely short of breath and Neal thought he looked a little blue around his lips. Neal was fearful that Johnny might have pneumonia. He recorded the vital signs and washed Johnny's face with a damp warm washcloth.

Neal asked, "Were you coughing like that all night or were you able to get some sleep?"

"Off and on," wheezed Johnny. "I think I slept some. Do you think I have the infection? Please don't tell Dana. She'll be so upset."

"Let's worry about you right now," Neal chided mildly. "But where is Dana now? Did she go home for awhile?"

Johnny chuckled and coughed again. When he caught his breath, he informed him, "She's staying with Elizabeth since her place is convenient to the hospital. Elizabeth is being a good friend for her."

"Okay, Johnny. I'm going to check with Dr. Fowler and see what he suggests to relieve your coughing and help you breath better. I'll be back soon," Neal said as calmly as he could manage.

Johnny stopped him, "Don't worry, Neal. It's okay. I know this cancer is going to kill me and I'm not going to last very long."

Neal gulped, "Johnny, let me talk to your doctor. You may be right, but let's not give up too soon, okay? Do you want me to call Dana and ask her to come in and stay with you?"

Johnny sighed, "She'll probably be coming in soon anyway, but yeah, maybe you should call her." He doubled over in another coughing fit and Neal fled the room.

Taryn was at the Nurses Station and she noticed how upset Neal was. She asked flippantly, "What's the matter, handsome? Did somebody die?"

Neal wanted to slap her himself, but he took a deep breath and said firmly, "I have to call Dr. Fowler. John Mitchell is not doing well."

Taryn said meanly, "Well, there's a news flash. You just figuring that out? Dr. Fowler alread knows, baby. What do you expect him to do about it?"

Neal saw Peter walking toward him with Selena a few steps behind him. Neal rushed up to him and asked desperately, "Peter, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone, I mean?"

Peter immediately recognized the distress in Neal's eyes. He gave Taryn and Selena a warning look; then pulled Neal into the unisex restroom and locked the door. He took his trembling partner into his arms, murmuring, "What happened, buddy?"

Neal took a shaky breath and managed, "Johnny Mitchell is going to die and he's just so calm and resigned about it. All he cares about is helping his wife to cope with it."

"Sounds like he's accepting his fate better than you are, Neal," Peter pointed out. "We've talked about this before. Death is inevitable for everyone sooner or later. For some of our patients, it's sooner."

"But what can I do to help him? I can't just stand there and watch him cough his lungs up!" Neal anguished.

Peter smiled at that gruesome image and replied, "No. What you can do is discuss a palliative medical care plan with Dr. Fowler and supportive nursing measures with Ms. Berrigan. And if Johnny's priority is helping his wife, maybe that should be yours, too."

"But how can I help her accept what is so hard for me to deal with myself?" Neal protested.

"Well, I suppose you could ask to be reassigned to another patient, but that would leave John and Dana in Taryn's care. Is that what you want?" Peter asked doubtfully.

"No!" gasped Neal. "They deserve to have someone who really cares with them. She is so callous."

"Okay, then. Give them your best, buddy. I'm proud of you," Peter affirmed, clapping Neal's shoulder. "Now let's get back out there."

Neal gave him an evil grin and mussed their hair a little and pulled their neckties a bit off kilter. He quickly kissed Peter and suggested, ""Might as well give 'em a show!"

Peter responded with an embarrassed expression, pushing Neal toward the door. "You first!"

Neal proudly emerged from the restroom, straightening his tie and running a hand over his hair. He wore a silly grin on his face. As he hoped, Taryn was still standing by the Nurses Station and she gave him a wide eyed look, as she took in the implication.

Peter came out a minute later, trying to look unobtrusive, but he still returned a salacious stare from Taryn with a playful smile. He looked around and saw Sara Ellis chuckling. Behind Taryn's back, she subtly gave him a thumb's up, obviously wise to their ruse. Selena was waiting for Peter, but she didn't rush to his side.

Neal called Dr. Fowler right away and got orders for medication to ease Johnny's cough. He said he would come to see his patient as soon as he could to discuss his wishes with him. He asked Neal to be sure Johnny's Living Will was complete and on file in his medical record.

"Wow. I guess Garrett Fowler is actually a human being," Neal commented to Sara. "He really sounded like he cares."

Sara reminded, "He has many years of experience. He chose to go into this field and he is actually an excellent physician, even if he isn't the most likable guy in the world."

Neal nodded in agreement and called Diana Berrigan. She offered to come to the Oncology floor right away to assist Neal. When he returned to retrieve Johnny Mitchell's medical record, Taryn was looking at him thoughtfully. She nodded at him and offered, "I'll take care of Julianna for a little while since you're going to be busy with Mitchell.

He accepted with relief and shared with her, "Julianna has a fever today and she started losing her hair when I brushed it."

"No worries. She's a sweet little thing. I'll check to see if her cultures are back. Maybe Hughes can prescribe something for her," Taryn said casually, flipping her own thick wavy hair off her shoulders.

Neal thanked her and finished checking Johnny's records. He decided he needed to pop in on Penny Chase before he got too involved with the Mitchells. He called Elizabeth quickly to see if Dana was in her office and suggested that Elizabeth send her up to Johnny's room.

Elizabeth said in a low voice, "Neal, does this mean what I think it does? Is Johnny worse?

"Yeah, he is," Neal admitted. "He wants to see her. I'll try to help her through this, but she's going to need you, too, Elizabeth."

Nate Osbourne was in Penny's room as usual. He was dressed in his protective clothing and he was brushing Penny's soft dark hair, which was falling out by the handful. He gave Neal a reproachful look. "Well, look what's happening now. I just hope that chemo is doing its job."

Neal replied softly, "Well, we can see that it is having an effect on Penny's body. It should kill the cancer cells. How are you feeling, sweet girl?"

Penny leaned back and sighed, "Well, I'm a little nauseated, but it's not too bad. I feel tired and kind of achy. I don't think I have a fever, though."

Neal checked and confirmed that her body temp was normal. He suggested, "You have an order for some Compazine for nausea. Why don't I get that for you. It might make you a little sleepy but you can use the rest."

When he brought the medication to her, Nate had finished brushing and was kissing her head with a sparse amount of hair left on it. He looked up at Neal and admitted, "You were right Nurse Neal. She still looks beautiful."

Neal ran into Dana on his way to Johnny's room and she looked at him warily, trying to put on a brave face. She confessed, "I don't know if I can stand this. Johnny is my whole my world."

Neal advised her gently, "Dana, you are going to have to let him go. Let's try to make sure he feels as peaceful and comfortable as he can. Did Elizabeth tell you I lost my girlfriend to cancer about a year ago? I really do know how you feel."

"Oh, you do understand then," Dana said with tears filling her eyes again. He took her hand and squeezed it.

They went in to find Johnny sleeping restlessly. The blueness around his mouth had deepened and and he coughed a little even in his sleep. Dr. Fowler arrived and Neal produced the Living Will when Fowler asked him for it. He carefully went over Johnny's final wishes with him.

"Okay, we need to make a decision now about intubating you and putting you on a respirator," Dr. Fowler reminded Johnny. "We talked about this before."

Johnny looked up sincerely and answered, "I don't want that, Doctor. I just want to spend the little bit of time I have left with my wife."

Dr. Fowler accepted that decision. He put a hand on Johnny's shoulder and offered, "I've prescribed an expectorant to ease that cough a little bit. I'll also leave an order for a small amount of morphine if you have any pain."

He turned to Dana and asked kindly, "Mrs. Mitchell, do you understand your husband's wishes? He has asked to forego further aggressive attempts to treat his cancer, which would most likely be futile. He wants to let nature take its course and he wishes to spend the time he has left with you."

Dana straightened her shoulders and said solemnly, "I understand, Doctor. I'm going to stay right here with him. Johnny's the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him so much."

Neal thought he saw the grizzled old doctor's eyes water at that. His own were brimming with tears. He excused himself to go prepare the expectorant for Johnny.

Diana Berrigan was waiting for him at the Nurses Station. She proceeded to remind Neal how he could position his patient so he could breathe easier and suggested other measures of comfort he could provide. When they were finished, she winked at him. "I'm proud of you, Neal. You are taking this very well."

Neal gulped and nodded, "I'm learning, Ms. Berrigan. Thank you for helping me."

He spent the rest of the afternoon attending to Johnny and Dana. Taryn and Lauren treated him with respect for once and filled in for him with Julianna and Penny. When it was time for Neal to leave, it was obvious that his dying patient would probably not make it through the night.

Neal offered, "Would you like me to stay with you? I can, if you want me to."

Both Johnny and Dana accepted his offer gratefully. Sara Ellis agreed to inform the next shift that Neal would be staying. She smiled reassuringly at Neal, "You are doing the right thing. It will be good for you to see this through."

Neal found Peter and let him know. He glanced at Dr. Selena Thomas suspiciously, but he knew he could trust Peter not to fall for her ploys.

Late that night, Johnny Mitchell died peacefully nestled in his beloved wife's arms. Dana sadly stroked his lifeless face with tears streaming down her face and whispered, "Goodbye, my love. I'll miss you so much."

She turned and fell into Neal's arms, letting her grief pour out. Their paper gowns rustled together as he embraced her and soothed her, telling her how proud he was of her for supporting Johnny's last wishes. He told her how much he had learned from his brief acquaintance with her husband and how much he admired him. Finally, he walked her out to the waiting room where her faithful friend Elizabeth was waiting.

The night nurse in charge was Melissa Cartwright. She urged Neal to go home, insisting that he could learn to prepare a deceased body for transfer to the morgue another time. Neal was curious about the procedure, but he agreed that he was exhausted after working two very emotional shifts already.

Neal climbed into bed with Peter after a hot shower and a light snack with a glass of wine. Peter pulled him close and asked, "Okay, lover?"

Neal snuggled up and nodded. "Yes, I'm okay now. I'll never forget Johnny Mitchell."

Peter kissed his head and held him tight until they both relaxed into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Neal had the weekend off, but as usual, Peter had to go in and make his rounds at the hospital. Neal slept late and then bustled around catching up on his housework and studying. In the afternoon, he dressed in one of Byron's vintage suits he liked to wear, put on a fedora, and went out to run errands. He wanted to check out a show by a new artist at a small gallery that he liked to visit later that evening.

Looking at his watch, Neal realized that Peter should soon be ready to leave the hospital so he decided to stop by and see. He thought he might be able to persuade Peter to go with him to the show, even though Peter was not as interested in art as Neal was. When he arrived on the Oncology floor all dressed up, he attracted some attention from nurse Pierce Spelman.

Neal winked at her and decided to surprise his lymphoma patient Julianna Laszlo with a brief visit before he looked for Peter. He had to gown and glove and put on a mask, so she couldn't really see his suit, but Julianna knew he was off duty. She was thrilled that her handsome nurse took the time to visit her, even though she was sick and had lost her hair.

Neal gave her a broad grin and asked, "How is my pretty princess this afternoon? Did you miss your charming knight?"

Julianna smiled happily and played along. "Oh yes, kind sir. Have you come to rescue me from this lonely tower?"

"I only wish I could," Neal said sincerely. "You will have to wait until good King Hughes gives his permission, though."

She sighed, "I will wait for you then, Sir Neal. I am sure you will come back again when you can."

"I absolutely will," promised Neal, smiling warmly. "Will you swear you will wait for me?"

"Of course I will, silly," teased Julianna. "What else can I do? No other knights are coming to this castle."

"You might be surprised," Neal told her. "One day your prince will come. Seriously, how are you Julianna? Still have that fever?"

She nodded miserably. "My cultures came back positive for MRSA. Dr. Calloway prescribed a more powerful antibiotic, but I don't think it's working."

"Well, maybe it will just take a little time," Neal said to cheer her up, hoping that was true. "Please be sure to tell the nurses right away if you feel worse."

Neal worried about her as he started looking for Peter. He heard Peter's familiar deep baritone laugh coming from the medication room and wondered what he was finding so funny. He was shocked to see him standing close to his attractive intern Selena with one arm around her waist. While he watched silently from behind them, Selena leaned up and gave Peter a quick kiss.

Neal spun around and left immediately. He was stung by what he had just witnessed. It played into his one of his darkest fears, that his good looking, witty lover wouldn't be true to him. He knew Peter was bisexual, too. Neal headed to the ground floor to seek out his best friend Mozzie, the Logistics and Supply manager for the hospital.

When he found him, he said recklessly, "Come on, Mozz. Let's go across the street and have a drink."

"What's the matter? Does your tall dark lover have other plans this evening?" Mozzie asked irreverently.

"Yeah, I think he might," Neal responded morosely. "Who cares? We haven't had any fun together for awhile. Come on."

"Okay, mon frere. You convinced me. I can't leave you unchaperoned anyway," Mozzie agreed cheerfully.

Already in the bar were nurses Taryn Vandersant and Lauren Cruz. Neal didn't like Taryn, but he knew Mozzie had a crush on Lauren, so he led the way to their table. He asked recklessly, "You girls drink tequila?"

Lauren and Mozzie said in unison, "Whoa Neal, you know you can't handle tequila!"

Neal winked defiantly at Taryn and challenged, "I bet Taryn's not afraid to drink with me."

She giggled, fascinated with this unaccustomed side of Neal she was seeing, and responded, "Of course not. I'll match you shot for shot, Caffrey!"

Neal asked the bartender to bring them a bottle, some lemons, a salt shaker and some glasses, which he did while shaking his head incredulously. He remembered the last time Neal drank tequila in his bar, when his old friend Matthew Keller had drugged him.

A half an hour later, Peter called Neal on his phone and Neal told him to come on over and added, "Why don't you bring Selena, too?"

Peter was immediately suspicious, but he invited the willing brunette beauty anyway. They found Neal tossing back shots of tequila with his friends. He waved, "Hey, come on Peter. Have a drink with us!"

Peter stalked over and quickly knocked back two shots in a row. At Neal's surprised look, Peter explained, "Looks like Selena and I have a little catching up to do."

Neal sloppily poured out two more shots for them while his friends stared in fascination. After throwing back two more shots in rapid succession, Peter dramatically pulled Neal over to him and enclosed him tightly in his arms. He growled, "Now what's this all about, Neal?"

Neal was thrilled and the others at the table stared at them raptly. Neal gasped, "I didn't think you cared!"

Peter kissed him deeply and responded fervently, "Well, I do care very much. Come on, let's get out of here while we still can."

As they stumbled toward the door with their with arms around each other, the others applauded enthusiastically. Taryn asked in amusement, "What was that? A lover's quarrel?"

Mozzie replied haughtily, "That was my incomparable friend Neal in love. Ladies, who would like another drink?"

Peter and Neal crashed through the door of June's mansion singing loudly _Love Is A Many Splendored Thing._ The distinguished lady met them with amusement. Neal took off his hat and bowed and handed it to her. She laughed and called out, "Careful on the stairs, boys!"

Neal giggled, "Do you think she knows we're drunk?" Peter replied teasingly, "She knows you are, for sure, buddy. It's kind of hard to miss."

Neal shushed him with a sloppy kiss as they made it through the door and staggered to the couch. They kissed and patted each other mindlessly for a few minutes. Then Neal pouted, "I saw you kissing Selena Thomas in the med room."

"Oh no you didn't! Why were you spying on me anyway? Don't you trust me?" Peter protested.

"Did too. She kissed you. It's her that I don't trust," Neal insisted. "I know you think she is sexy and she fawns all over you."

"Nobody is sexier than you, sweet lover," Peter assured him and started kissing him again.

Neal pulled back and belched. He managed to get up and dash to the bathroom before he threw up. When he finished, he confessed sheepishly, "I guess I didn't have any dinner."

Peter ran his fingers through Neal's mussed hair and patiently handed him a wet washcloth. He sighed, "Neal, when you are you going to learn that you can't drink tequila?"

Neal sassed, "Can, too - just not on an empty stomach - and maybe not so much at one time...."

Peter helped him up and said, "Come on. Let's get ready for bed and cuddle up and watch a movie, unless you're going to pass out now."

"Am not going to pass out," Neal muttered, but as soon as they were settled comfortably on the couch, he promptly went to sleep with his head resting on Peter's broad chest.

Peter smiled fondly and ran his fingers through Neal's silky curls. He whispered, "Goodnight, my foolish lover. Sleep well."

They both had raging headaches when they woke up. Mozzie called Neal to see if he was all right and Neal groaned, "No, I think I'm dying."

Mozzie chuckled, "Oh, you'll live to drink another day, my friend. I know a great cure made from bananas, tomatoes and ginger. Do you want to try it?"

Neal felt his stomach turn at the thought. He demurred, "No thanks, Mozz. Peter has his own homemade wonder cure. It's made from pickle juice, believe it or not."

"Ooh, maybe try putting a little ginger in it," Mozzie enthused before Neal hung up on him.

Neal asked Peter petulantly, "I suppose you have to go make rounds with Dr. Thomas again?"

Peter grabbed him playfully and dragged him back to bed. "Nope! I have a day off today. What do you want to do?"

Neal pouted prettily. "I don't know. I don't feel very good. Yesterday I was going to ask you if you would go to a gallery showing with me, but now I don't know if I want to."

"Well, I know what I want to do!" Peter vowed, pinning Neal to the mattress and looming over him. "After that we can go out for brunch and then we can go to your gallery. How's that for a plan?"

Neal smiled happily, "That's an excellent plan. Shall we get started?"

Peter groped him through his pajamas as he bent down to devour his mouth. Neal responded lustily and they made love playfully. When they were both satisfied and lying peacefully in each other's arms, Neal said quietly, "Peter? I'm sorry I suspected you last night. I'm just so afraid of losing you."

"But why?" asked Peter plaintively. "Have I given you any reason to think I'm going to leave you?"

Neal admitted, "No, but everyone I've ever loved has left me, one way or another. I just keep waiting for it to happen again."

"Well, stop that, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I gave up Elizabeth for you and I'm not interested in anyone else," Peter insisted.

"Okay, I'll try," Neal agreed, stretching luxuriously and running his hands over Peter's naked body. "Mmm, I love to feel your muscles."

"Hmm, how about a nice massage? After that, we can clean up and go out," Peter suggested languorously.

They spent a relaxing day together. Peter even enjoyed the art at the gallery that Neal took him to. They ended the day by buying steaks to bring home and grill. After dinner, they quietly studied and Neal worked on a paper he was writing for his classes. They went to bed early because they had to be up early the next morning. 

Neal slid down Peter's body and treated him to a mind shattering blow job. Peter sighed, "Keep that up and you'll never have to worry about me going anywhere."

Neal purred, "That's the whole idea. Anyway, I love to give you pleasure. Now kiss me and let's go to sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

On Monday morning, Neal was shocked to see how his patient Julianna Laszlo's condition had deteriorated since since he saw her on Saturday night. When he entered he room, she barely looked at him and closed her eyes again. Neal had read her medical record and he knew her infection was not responding to the new antibiotic. 

He walked quietly over to her bed and sat down beside her. He took her hand in his and called her name softly. Julianna turned toward him with tearful eyes. She said listlessly, "Hi Neal."

He cajoled, "Hi princess. What's the matter? I heard you're having a pretty hard time."

Julianna nodded, "I am. I hurt all over and I feel so cold. I've never been this sick before. I just want to sleep."

Neal noted with alarm how pale and still she was. He thought of Peter's acronym about sepsis and felt panicky.

Neal became even more concerned as he recorded her elevated temperature and pulse and respiration rates. Her blood pressure was low. He tried to wake Julianna again.

She looked up at him with shining eyes and whimpered, "I'm scared, Neal. I want to go home."

Neal took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He snugged the blankets around his frail patient and assured her, "I'm going to talk to Dr. Hughes right now. He'll know what do to get you feeling better again."

He hurried to the Nurses Station and called Dr. Reese Hughes, Medical Director of the Oncology service. The older experienced physician agreed to come examine Julianna right away. He concluded, "The experimental drug we started the other day is not overcoming the infection. We need to try something else. We can use another experimental combination of two newer drugs. I'll consult with Dr. Callaway."

Neal asked, "How soon will it work, Dr. Hughes? She is failing fast. She has all the signs of sepsis."

"Yes, I know. Her blood cultures are positive for MRSA and she is in a weakened state because of her lymphoma and chemo treatments. She is going to need aggressive supportive care until we can get the infection under control."

Neal knew that sepsis affects about one million Americans per year and between twenty-eight to fifty percent of those patients die and many more are left with long term effects. He fervently did not want Julianna to be one of those. He asked, "Dr. Hughes, could you recommend something I could read to understand it better? I want to help anyway I can."

Dr Hughes gave him a sympathetic look and responded, "Ask Dr. Burke and Ms. Berrigan for some articles to read. Neal, I admire your commitment, but you need to stay clinically detached enough to be useful. We are all going to do everything we can to save our patient."

"Of course, sir," Neal said meekly. "I realize that. She is just so young and her lymphoma is a treatable cancer. I just hope the MRSA doesn't kill her."

Ms. Berrigan arrived and intervened, "Of course. We all hope that. Don't forget that Dr. Hughes is consulting with Dr. Amanda Callaway who is a foremost expert in Infectious Disease."

Neal nodded, "Yes, I know. How many cases of MRSA are there in this hospital now? Are any of the patients responding to treatment?"

Dr. Hughes suggested, "Neal, how about if I get you together with Dr. Callaway to put together another Inservice training for our staff to include those issues? Are you willing to work with her?"

"Of course," Neal volunteered sincerely. "I would be glad to. Is it okay if I ask Elizabeth Mitchell to help me set up times for them?"

"Sure. I think that would be a good idea. I'll let you know when Dr. Callaway can meet with you," Dr. Hughes agreed.

Ms. Berrigan spent some time instructing Neal on specific nursing interventions for patients with sepsis. She assigned him a short list of articles and textbook articles to read as homework. Finally, she reminded, "You need to be positive and encouraging, as well as compassionate, with her. Your competency will help to strengthen her."

"I'll do everything I can. My only other patient right now is Penny Chase and she is doing okay with her chemo treatments for leukemia. Is it alright if I just stick with these two patients without taking on any more right now?"

Ms. Berrigan considered, "I'll leave it that way for right now, Neal; but you are going to have to learn how to handle a heavier patient load sometime."

"I know I am, and I will. I just feel like Julianna is going to need almost full time attention right now," Neal persuaded.

His instructor smiled at her favorite student and conceded, "I admire your intensity and commitment, Neal. Remember, though, it is important not to burn yourself out."

Neal visited Penny Chase and made sure she got her morning care. Although she was feeling very weak and tired and somewhat nauseated, she had no fever and her symptoms were being effectively controlled with medication. Her boyfriend Nate continued to spend long hours at her bedside.

The rest of the morning, Neal devoted himself to caring for Julianna. He administered the new medications that were prescribed for her by Dr. Hughes and Dr. Callaway. He helped to set up the oxygen and IVs she needed. He cleaned her skin carefully and turned and positioned her so she wouldn't develop sores or cramps. He cleaned her mouth with lemon swabs and encouraged her to drink a little juice and a nutritional shake.

He kept a positive expression on his face and quietly tried to infuse some confidence into her as he worked. When everything was done, he brought her medical record into the room so he could make his notes while he sat by her bedside.

Neal grabbed a quick lunch with Elizabeth to ask her about scheduling the Inservice sessions that Dr. Hughes had suggested. He discovered from her that there were a number of MRSA cases spread throughout the hospital and an expert doctor from the CDC was coming to monitor the situation.

Elizabeth added, "Dr. Henry Van Horn has been here before. Unfortunately, as soon as he gets involved, it is going to alert the press. That television reporter Alicia Teagan has already been sniffing around. Vincent is determined to try to protect the reputation of the hospital."

Neal thanked her and excused himself to go back to work with his patients. Once he made sure Penny Chase was ready for her chemo treatment, he gave most of his attention to Julianna again. She looked up at him towards the end of the day and murmured, "You're so nice Neal. Every time I wake up, I find you here taking care of me."

"That's right, princess. I'm going to get you out of here one of these days. Remember?" Neal teased affectionately.

Tears trickled from the sick girl's eyes. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to make it. You know? I'm so terribly sick. I can hardly even turn over. Everything hurts."

Neal squeezed her hand. "All you have to do is let the new antibiotic work on your infection. Then you'll start to feel better. It's going to take a little while, but I'm going to be here to help you. I promise. I have to go home now, but I will be back first thing in the morning."

"Mm, 'kay," Julianna managed, as she slipped back into sleep. Neal brushed her warm cheek lightly with his fingertips and slipped out of her room.

At home, Neal threw himself into studying the materials that had been recommended to him. Late in the evening, he gave in to his urge to call Nurse Lauren Cruz, who was working the evening shift, to ask her how Julianna was doing. She humored him and gave a quick report on their patient's condition.

Lauren mentioned, "We're watching her urine output carefully. If her kidneys shut down, we'll have to start dialysis."

Neal sighed and thanked Lauren. He mentioned that Dr. Callaway would be giving them all an update on the status of the MRSA cases in the hospital. Lauren had already heard that Dr. Van Horn was coming from the CDC.

Peter had been quietly catching up on his own reading, not disturbing Neal. He got up and placed a hand on Neal's shoulder. "I'm getting worried about you, buddy. You hardly ate anything. How about a little snack now and then we'll get some sleep."

Neal sighed and leaned back against Peter. He asked wistfully, "Peter, do you think Julianna is going to be okay?"

Peter leaned down and kissed his lover's dark head. "I think she has the best the nurse anyone could ask for, but you need to keep your strength up or you won't be any good for anyone."

"Peter?" Neal said softly, "I'm not very interested in having sex right now. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's okay, Neal. You'll let me hold you, though, won't you?" Peter asked anxiously. "I don't want you to pull away from me."

Neal smiled and promised, "Never. Come on, let's just go to bed. I'm not hungry anyway."


	8. Chapter 8

Neal entered the hospital as usual and pressed the button for the elevator. A good looking sophisticated blonde in a bright red stylish suit stood next to him. She noted Neal in his nursing student uniform and glanced at his name tag. She flirted, "Hey there, Dr. N. Caffrey. I'm Allie."

Neal smiled self consciously and corrected, "I'm a student nurse. Neal Caffrey.

"Oh, well, I'm a stranger here," she remarked casually. "I hear there is an outbreak of MRSA in this hospital. Which service are you working on?"

Neal answered the friendly woman, "I'm on the Oncology floor. We're really trying to protect our vulnerable patients from infection."

Alisha guessed slyly, "Oh, I heard there have already been a couple of cases in cancer patients."

Without thinking, Neal responded innocently, "Only one patient, actually. The other patients and the staff have had negative cultures."

"Oh, I wouldn't ask you to disclose any names, but could you tell me a little bit about the infected patient?" Alisha asked curiously.

Neal said hesitantly, "Well, she's young and she is very sick. She didn't respond to the first antibiotic they tried, but the infectious disease specialist has prescribed a combination of new drugs for her, so we are really hoping they will be effective."

As they got on the elevator, the well dressed friendly woman pursued, "Oh, so they have called in a consultant then?"

"Yes, Administrator Adler called in Dr. Amanda Callaway." Neal confided, "There is a CDC Doctor here, too. Dr. Van Horn is looking into the outbreak."

As the elevator arrived on the Oncology floor, Neal stepped out. Alisha grinned a self satisfied smile. "It was so nice to meet you, Neal. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Neal was used to being approached by women who found him attractive. He put his conversation with the curious woman out of his mind immediately as he hurried to see how Julianna had fared during the night.

Melissa Cartwright, the curvy, curly red haired night nurse, was just finishing writing her notes. She looked up and smiled engagingly at Neal. "Hi there, Neal. Where's the dashing Doctor Burke this morning?"

Neal frowned slightly, "He'll be here soon. Do you need him for something "

Melissa sighed languorously, "Oh, I was hoping he would give me a neck rub this morning. I'm so tired and he has magic hands."

"Peter gives you neck rubs?" asked Neal, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"Whenever I can convince him. Has he ever treated you to a neck rub? He really is amazing," Melissa enthused.

Taryn Vandersant interrupted, "Caffrey, are you taking care of Julianna Laszlo again? I think they may be transferring her to Intensive Care."

"Oh," Neal said soberly. "I'll go see her right away then. May I have her medical record to take with me?"

Julianna was unresponsive when Neal called her name. He was studying her medical record to catch up on the developments from the night shift when Dr. Reese Hughes came in. The senior physician advised him, "Dr. Callaway will be here in a minute. I believe we will be taking Julianna to ICU. Her kidneys are shutting down and we need to begin dialysis."

Seeing Neal's horrified look, Hughes added gently, "Don't worry, Neal. It will probably be temporary. She can still make a full recovery. Her lab results show that she is beginning to respond to the new drug regime."

Neal took a deep breath and then asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dr. Hughes gave him a kindly smile and suggested, "Why don't you go ahead and take her vital signs and measure her input and output? You could change her gown and wash her face and hands, too. After we move her, maybe you could get started on an outline for the Inservice presentation with Dr. Callaway."

Neal did as he was told. He watched anxiously as Julianna was wheeled away. Taryn came over and playfully slipped an arm around his waist. She teased, "Don't brood, Heathcliff. She'll be okay."

Neal yanked her arm off of him and said moodily, "You don't know that. I'm not in the mood for your teasing, Taryn."

"Ooh, he's touchy!" Taryn chuckled. "Ms. Berrigan said for you to pick up the patient Jason Lang. You'll like him. He's kind of handsome if you like his type. He has a brain tumor, but they think it is treatable with radiation and chemo."

Neal grimaced. He wasn't in the mood to take on another patient yet. He decided to check in with his other patient Penny Chase first. Penny's boyfriend Nate wasn't there for once and Penny was sleeping peacefully. Neal watched her for a moment and decided to let her rest a little longer before he disturbed her.

He returned to the Nurses Station to read Jason Lang's medical record. He was relieved that Taryn was nowhere to be seen. After he read the information on Jason, he went to see him. Neal was excited to find Peter already in the room talking with the patient. He slipped in quietly so he wouldn't disturb them.

Neal heard Peter trying to soothe Jason, "Come on, now. You know no one here is trying to hurt you, Jason. What has happened to make you think that?"

Jason replied belligerently, "Well, I think someone is poisoning me. Otherwise I wouldn't be getting worse. I feel sick to my stomach and my mouth has a funny taste. I'm pretty sure it's from poison."

Peter noticed Neal and bobbed his head slightly to acknowledge him. He told Jason, "Look, I'm going to assign Mr. Caffrey here to guard you. Will that be okay?"

Jason looked Neal over. He noted critically, "He doesn't look like a guard. He looks like all the rest of you."

Neal stepped up and winked at Peter. He assured Jason, "I'm just undercover as a student nurse. Don't worry. I'll look out for you."

"Will you taste my food for me?" wheedled the paranoid patient. "I think the poison might be in the food. It tastes terrible."

Neal giggled, "Yeah, I guess it probably does. Okay, I'll taste it for you so you can see it's not really poisoned. Can I take your temperature and your blood pressure now to be sure you're okay?"

Jason acquiesced and Peter exited the room, giving Neal a grateful look. Neal finished Jason's morning care without any more objections. He realized that Jason's brain tumor was affecting his thinking and was careful not to do anything to alarm him.

After he returned to Penny's room and took care of her, he sat down at a computer to do some more research on MRSA. It occurred to him that he should include Dr. Henry Van Horn in their Inservice conference.

Neal went down to Elizabeth Mitchell's office to enlist her assistance in inviting Dr. Van Horn and scheduling a time and place for the conference. She was charming as usual and suggested they have lunch together. After they were seated, she confessed, "It makes me nervous to have these outside expert doctors here, and that reporter Alisha Teagan keeps hanging around."

Neal sympathized, "I know how touchy Vincent Adler is about protecting the reputation of this hospital. Drs. Callaway and Van Horn are only here to help get the MRSA outbreak under control, though, aren't they? How's that going? Do you know?"

Elizabeth sighed, "There are a still a few cases around the hospital. That Laszlo girl on Oncology is the worst case. So far we haven't had a fatality from it."

"They moved Julianna to ICU this morning. She needs dialysis, but Dr. Hughes said she is responding to the new drugs they are giving her," Neal disclosed.

"Oh, I know they are doing everything they can, but her uncle has already had an attorney sniffing around and accusing us of being negligent for letting her get exposed to a deadly hospital acquired infection," Elizabeth explained anxiously.

Neal gasped, "Oh! But that's unbelievable. Do you think it's our fault, Elizabeth? She was in such a weakened condition from her cancer and her chemo. We're doing everything we can to pull her through."

Elizabeth placated, "Of course, Neal. Don't worry. Some people always respond by taking legal action."

"Her uncle doesn't even come to visit her," Neal noted bitterly. "He says he doesn't want to be bothered with the isolation precautions, but I think he's probably afraid he might get it."

"Might get what?" Peter asked, as he slid a chair over to their table to join them. "By the way, Neal, thanks for saving me from Jason Lang."

"Saving you?" Elizabeth asked curiously. "What happened? Did a patient threaten you?"

"Yeah," Neal deadpanned, "He almost made him eat some hospital food for him!"

They all laughed and finished their lunches in pleasant conversation. Neal marveled that Elizabeth had accepted his relationship with Peter so graciously. He knew he could never be that generous and forgiving if the situation were reversed.

Still he couldn't resist bringing up Melissa Cartwright reproachfully, "Peter, Melissa told me that you give her wonderful neck rubs."

Elizabeth giggled, "Oh, did she tell you about his magic hands, Neal?"

Peter blushed and squirmed. "I can't help it if I give good massages. Melissa appreciates that."

Neal growled, "Just so that's all she appreciates, Mr. Magic Hands."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and reminded, "Neal, Peter only has eyes for you, even if his hands may wander a little."

Neal smiled and excused himself. He wanted to stop by the ICU to check on Julianna before he returned to the Oncology floor. He hoped to catch up with Dr. Callaway and Dr. Van Horn, too, to ask them about the content for the Inservice on MRSA.

He was surprised to find the two illustrious specialists squared off in conflict over Julianna's transfer to the ICU. Dr. Van Horn accused, "You exposed the critically ill patients and the highly skilled nurses in this unit by bringing in a patient infected with MRSA."

Dr. Callaway retorted, "The patient needs to be dialysed. They simply can't do that on the Oncology floor. She needs intensive care."

"You could provide that care in her room on the Oncology floor if you made the effort," Dr. Van Horn insisted.

They looked up as they noticed Neal studying them intensely. Dr. Callaway snapped, "What do you want?"

Neal tried to back away. He stammered nervously, "N-nothing really. I just need to ask you both about the MRSA Inservice for the staff that Dr. Hughes asked me to plan. But n-not right now. I mean, obviously, you're busy."

Dr. Van Horn looked at him curiously and inquired, "And who are you, may I ask? What is your expertise to plan a conference on MRSA?"

"N-none, sir. Um, I mean, I'm just a student nurse. Dr. Hughes just thought I could help you to set it up, you know, with all the details and stuff," Neal babbled.

Van Horn gave him a dismissive wave and turned back to Dr. Callaway. She murmured, "Later, Mr. Caffrey. This is not a good time."

Neal nodded and hurried away. He wondered how they would resolve the issue about Julianna. He realized that no one actually knew how Julianna had acquired the infection. They had instituted the isolation procedures as soon as they were aware there were any MRSA infections in the hospital. 

Nate Osbourne was back in Penny's room that afternoon and Neal spent some time with the young couple answering questions they had about her treatment and her progress, which was actually good in spite of the side effects she was suffering. He spent the rest of his afternoon placating his difficult brain tumor patient, Jason Lang.

As the end of the shift neared, Nealed headed for the Nurses Station with relief. He was taken aback by the stony faces that were staring at him. A very stern Peter held up a copy of the local newspaper for Neal to see. 

To his chagrin the bold headline read **_"Young Woman With Cancer Lies Near Death From MRSA."_** The byline was _Alisha Teagan._ As he read with increasing horror, the article contained every detail he had unwittingly disclosed to the reporter, including the consultation by the the two expert Infectious Disease physicians.

The ultimate blow came when he read the words, _"According to student nurse Neal Caffrey,"_ further down in the article. Neal covered his face with his hands and moaned, "Oh nooo. Now what have I done?"


	9. Chapter 9

Neal turned and fled. He didn't even wait for the elevator, but ran down the stairs instead. He considered seeking out his friend Mozzie, but decided he couldn't even face him. Instead, he made his way home and confided in June.

June comforted him, "Oh Neal, everyone does stupid things sometimes. You will just have to face up to it, apologize, and go on. This isn't nearly bad as you think it is. You were taken advantage of by a pro, dear."

Neal shook his head, "I can't believe I was so foolish. I just didn't think. I know you're right, June, but I have to get out of here for a little while. I can't face Peter yet. I can't talk to anyone else right now."

June smiled sweetly, "You'll be okay, won't you, Neal? Don't do anything that will just make you feel worse."

"I know. I won't. I just need a little time," Neal assured her. "I'll be back later."

He knew where he would go without even planning. He had to talk to Kate. It had been a while since he had gone to visit her grave. As sad as it was, he always found peace in the quiet cemetary. He liked to talk to her, to remember her, to imagine how life might have been.

Neal didn't know what time it was. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there. It had gotten dark outside. He'd told Kate about his terrible mistake with the reporter; about Johnny Mitchell's inspiring courage in the face of death; about his concern for Julianna. He even talked to her about Peter.

He said quietly, "I really love him, Kate. It's different from what we had, but Peter makes me feel safe and happy. He's smart and strong and sexy. We have fun together, too. I just hope he won't be too disappointed with me."

A soft baritone voice behind him said surely, "He won't be, buddy."

Neal turned in surprise to find Peter looking down at him with affection. Peter nodded, "Mozzie suggested I might find you here."

Neal hung his head. He mumbled, "I needed to be by myself; well, really, to be with Kate. I come here sometimes when I need to think."

"Am I intruding?" Peter asked kindly, "I can go if you want me to. I just wanted to be sure you were all right. Are you okay, Neal?"

He slowly got up and walked into Peter's arms. He sighed, "Yeah. I will be. Thanks for coming."

Peter kept an arm around him and suggested, "Let's get something to eat. I know a little bistro near here that I think you'll like."

When they were seated at a small table in a dark corner with with their drinks in front of them, Neal finally relaxed. He looked around and paused to appreciate the jazz guitarist. He noted appreciatively, "You're right. I do like this place. How did you ever find it?"

Peter admitted, "I had a friend who liked to come here sometimes. It brings back good memories for me."

Neal began hesitantly, "Peter, about Kate, I just.... Well, I still miss her sometimes. I used to visit her often, but it's been quite a while now, until tonight."

"I understand, Neal," Peter soothed. "I know Kate was your first love. I'm not trying to replace her in your heart."

"There's plenty of room for you, too," Neal affirmed. "I just couldn't face you tonight. I was afraid you would be so disappointed in me."

"You know, you could have trusted me," Peter chided gently. "I want to be there for you when you need me."

When they finished a romantic meal, feeling warm and cozy, Neal asked seductively, "If we go home now, will you show me your magic hands?"

Peter reached under the table and squeezed Neal's knee. He chuckled, "I might. What will you show me?"

Neal laughed, "What would you like to see, Peter?"

When they got home, Neal asked Peter diffidently, "Are you sure you still want me? I'm such an idiot."

"Come here, idiot. Yeah, I still want you. I'm going to show you how much," Peter pledged.

When Neal gratefully hugged him, Peter taunted, "But I don't want to hear a word about my magic hands in the newspaper tomorrow."

Neal smacked him playfully, saying, "Aw, that wasn't nice, but when I'm finished with you tonight, you're going to want to put it on the front page!"

In the morning, Neal was excruciatingly nervous about going back to the hospital. Peter offered to walk in by his side and Neal gratefully accepted. As soon as they entered the first floor, they saw Alisha Teagan, dressed in another chic suit, hanging around and trying to get people to talk to her.

She gave Neal a broad smile and tried to get his attention, but he looked studiously down at his feet as he waited for the elevator. Peter stood staunchly by his side, whispering, "Just ignore her."

Alisha called out, "Neal! How is the young MRSA patient getting along? Any improvement in her condition since yesterday?"

Suddenly, Mozzie was there, inserting himself between Neal and the reporter and saying loudly, "No comment. We have no comment."

As they hustled onto the elevator, Neal uttered, "Thanks, Mozz. She tricked me yesterday. I didn't know she was a reporter."

Mozzie studied him seriously and concluded, "Sometimes you are a little too quick to trust people, Neal. I should have taught you better."

Peter asked, "Is Vincent Adler furious? I'm sure the last thing he wanted was this publicity."

"Well, it's safe to say he has more on his mind this morning than Neal," Mozzie related. "Julianna's uncle has hired Attorney Andrew Dawson and he's threatening to file suit against the hospital."

"Oh no," Neal mourned. "How much worse can this get?"

"Well, I'd say we're about to find out," Peter observed, nodding toward the Nurses Station, where they could see Drs. Van Horn, Callaway, and Hughes standing with Ms. Diana Berrigan and Sara Ellis in a tight group.

As they came closer, they could hear them arguing among themselves. When they noticed Neal approaching, their conversation ceased as they turned to look at him. Neal stopped walking, wishing he could just disappear into the floor. Peter and Mozzie halted beside him.

From behind them came the sinister voice of Vincent Adler demanding, "Haversham, what are you doing here?"

Mozzie drew himself up and confronted the irate administrator confidently, "I am looking after the interests of my protégée Neal Caffrey."

"Oh, for God's sake, he's just a student nurse," Adler spluttered; then conceded, "although a very troublesome student nurse at the moment."

Neal wisely remained silent with his eyes downcast. Adler ordered him, "Caffrey, get out of my sight. I have important business to discuss with these illustrious doctors and nurses. Can't you go take care of patients or something?"

With a glance at Ms. Berrigan, Neal murmured, "Yes sir. Thank you." He scurried off to see about his patients Penny Chase and Jason Lang. He whispered to Peter, "Please try to find out how Julianna is."

Peter gave him a brief nod and went to join the group at the Nurses Station. He found himself included in an anxious discussion of the unwanted publicity and threatened lawsuit over Julianna Laszlo's MRSA infection.

When Peter asked how the patient was progressing, he was informed tersely, "Still critical, but everyday she stays alive gives the new generation antibiotics more chance to eradicate her infection. We don't know yet what the long term consequences will be for her if she survives, though."

Finally, Ms. Berrigan brought up the subject of Neal's indiscretion with the newspaper reporter. She apologized, "I'm sure he had no idea whom he was talking to, but he should have been much more circumspect about saying anything at all."

Dr. Hughes said firmly, "I want him suspended for a day or two. For one thing, it will keep him out of the public eye and away from the attorney on the Laszlo case. It will also stress to him how seriously we take this matter."

Vincent Adler pondered that and agreed, "Call it an indefinite suspension right now. We can publicize that we have taken that action against the source of the news report."

Peter's heart sank. He knew Neal would be devastated. Ms. Berrigan nodded and suggested, "I'll give him an assignment to make a presentation on confidentiality in medical settings, in addition to writing up a detailed case study on Julianna Laszlo."

Neal had finished with Penny Chase and was working with Jason Lang when Lauren Cruz summoned him to the Nurses Station, warning, "Diana Berrigan wants to talk to you."

He followed Lauren, telling Jason he would be back in a few minutes. He was not allowed to do that, however, as Ms. Berrigan insisted on accompanying him to the door of the hospital. At Adler's insistence, they were accompanied by Kyle Bancroft, head of security for the hospital. 

Neal felt heartbroken and humiliated. They had not even been able to tell him when he would be able to return to work. He didn't see Peter anywhere, but he was kind of glad he didn't have to face him right then. Mozzie caught up with Neal when he got outside.

"Tough break, kid," Mozzie commiserated. "They're going to let you come back in a couple of days, though. Don't worry."

"Oh Mozz, how can I even face anyone after this? Maybe I should just drop out now," Neal groaned.

"And give up your dream? Because of one little mistake? Neal, no one wants you to do that," Mozzie spluttered. "That would be a terrible waste. You're too good to let this little contretemps throw you!"

"Not so little, Mozzie, but I'll think about it," Neal conceded. "Berrigan gave me a couple of assignments to work on. Will you keep me up on all the news about Julianna and the lawsuit and the MRSA outbreak? Peter probably won't tell me everything."

"Of course, I will," Mozzie promised. "Now you go home and work on your assignments. Take a bubble bath first to relax maybe."

"A bubble bath?" Neal giggled. "Really? Maybe I will. Or maybe I'll wait for Peter for that!"

"Alright. Alright, get out of here now," Mozzie urged good naturedly. "Remember, you are leaving everything in my capable hands."


	10. Chapter 10

When Neal arrived at the mansion, June was not at home. He dispiritedly climbed the stairs to his rooms and listlessly walked around, picking things up and putting them back down. He checked the computer for more news stories by reporter Alisha Teagan. There were quotes from Administrator Vincent Adler trying to reassure the public that the MRSA outbreak at the hospital was under control. There was no mention of Neal or Julianna Laszlo

Neal checked out the webpage of Attorney Andrew Dawson. He wondered if Julianna's uncle really would sue the hospital. Then he worried about whether Julianna was going to recover, and whether any more Oncology patients were going to get sick from MRSA in spite of their rigorous infection control procedures.

He felt too embarrassed and depressed to start writing a paper on medical confidentiality, as Ms. Berrigan had required. He had already started a case study on Julianna, but he had nothing to add to it without knowing her current condition. He got out his phone to call Peter, but then resisted the impulse to bother him while he was busy at work.

Finally, Neal remembered Mozzie's advice to take a bubble bath. That tempted him to get out a bottle of champagne to enjoy some "bubbly" with his bubble bath. The idea amused him so he popped the cork on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. He poured a glass and giggled as the fine fizz tickled his nose.

He ran a hot bath, adding some Verbena Foaming Bath Oil and stripped off his clothes, carefully hanging them up. He got out a fluffy bath towel to wrap up in later, put the champagne bottle on ice and moved it near the tub. Holding his glass in one hand, he lowered himself into the soothing fragrant water.

Neal set his glass down and submerged for a moment. He relaxed and resumed sipping his champagne, letting his mind go blank. He absently pinched his nipples and stroked his cock under the water. He lay there drinking and resting until the water began to cool down. He felt much better than he had earlier and his troubles didn't seem so important.

He was thinking to himself, _"Mozzie really has some good ideas"_ when he heard someone coming into his kitchen. He quickly reached for the towel and tried to scramble out of the tub, but he was tipsier than he realized. He slipped on some soapy water and awkwardly skidded across the floor, striking the champagne bottle with his leg and spilling it over.

He moaned and looked up into the face of a highly amused Peter standing in the bathroom doorway. Peter laughed, "So this is what you do when you're home alone!"

Neal tried to get up and slipped again in the small bathroom. He grabbed the champagne bottle to set it upright before the rest of the champagne poured out. He whimpered and looked helplessly at Peter, requesting piteously, "Can you please help me up?"

Peter grabbed the towel and gave Neal his hand to help him up. He wrapped him snugly in the towel and then drew him in for an impulsive kiss. He chuckled, "You're so damn cute!"

Neal snuggled closer, letting himself be comforted. Then he dried himself off and put on a robe. He sighed, "I was so miserable. The bubble bath was Mozzie's suggestion. It felt good."

"I suppose the champagne was Mozzie's bright idea, too," guessed Peter.

"Nope," Neal corrected proudly. "That was all mine. There's still some left. Want some?"

"No, I just came home to check on you, buddy. I can't stay," Peter lamented, "though I'd like to."

"Oh, yeah. Peter, how long do you think they'll make me stay home anyway?" Neal questioned.

"Not very long, I suspect, because they really need the extra help in caring for the patients. They moved Julianna back out to Oncology floor and she needs practically full time care," Peter speculated.

"Oh, is she doing better then?" Neal asked hopefully. "Is she responding to the new antibiotics?"

"Yes, she is. They dialized her and the kidneys are working again, but she needs a lot of monitoring and nursing care. Dr. Van Horn wanted her moved out of Intensive Care, though. He thinks she is a threat to the other patients there," Peter explained.

"What did Dr. Callaway say?" wondered Neal. "It was her idea to move Julianna in there."

"I know. I guess they worked it out between the two of them. Anyway, Adler wants a full time nurse assigned to care for her because of the lawsuit her uncle is threatening to file," Peter noted.

"I could do that!" Neal suggested excitedly. Peter reminded him, "I'm afraid not, Neal. First of all, you are still a student. Anyway, you are not the most popular person with her family because of the newspaper headline."

Neal dropped his head and mumbled, "I forgot. I really screwed up, Peter. I didn't know that woman was a reporter. She just seemed like she was making casual friendly conversation. It seemed so harmless."

"Well, she's a pro, I guess," Peter conceded. "Nobody believes you meant any harm, Neal. It was just a mistake. Don't beat yourself up."

Neal continued to look downhearted so Peter went over and stood in front of him. As he opened Neal's robe and admired his lean muscular body, he said thoughtfully, "You know, it is my break time. I don't have to be back to the hospital for an hour."

He lifted Neal out of his chair and Neal threw his legs around Peter's waist. They kissed their way over to the bed and Peter murmured, "I bet I can make you feel you better."

Neal stretched happily out on the bed and reached up for Peter, but Peter leaned back just out of reach. He told him, "I have to go back to work in a little while. This is just for you, my lover."

Peter ran a hand lightly down the length of Neal's luscious body. He parked that hand on his waist and used his other hand to lift Neal's head so he could kiss him. He traced his fingers around his soft lips and inserted a finger into his mouth. He pulled Neal up off the bed and pressed their lips together as he thrust his tongue in where his finger had been.

Peter gently laid Neal back down, sitting beside him propped slightly over him. He ran a hand over Neal's hard sculpted abs and let it drift down over his hardening cock. He lightly brushed his lover's inner thigh and watched as he grew harder. He lightly caressed his balls and then teased his stiffened penis. 

Peter licked his finger and moistened the slit which was beginning to produce its own silky discharge. Peter smiled and leaned up to plant one more kiss on Neal's open lips, brushing a hand through his slightly wet hair. Then he positioned himself between Neal's legs and placed one hand under his ass.

He licked Neal's quivering fully erect cock and took him in his mouth. He reached his free hand up to pinch a nipple, eliciting a shiver and a groan from his very relaxed partner. As he intensified his sucking, he teased Neal's hole with the hand underneath him and used his other one to tickle his balls.

Peter warned, "Just hold on now. Don't come until I tell you. Okay?" He got an incoherent moan in response as Neal thrust himself up to reconnect with his mouth. Peter accommodated him with a long lazy blowjob until Neal was writhing on the bed and pulling on Peter's hair and trying to thrust deeper into his mouth.

Finally, Peter took pity on him and asked softly, "Are you ready now?" When Neal nodded and moaned, Peter relented, "Okay. Go ahead whenever you want to." He increased his efforts and got into a rhythm that quickly brought Neal to an ecstatic climax. Peter laughed as he finished and licked Neal's cum from his lips.

He petted Neal's face and hair and gave him another gentle kiss. Then he pulled a blanket over him and teased, "Do you think you can behave yourself now until I get back home this afternoon?"

Neal gave him a contented little smile and nodded. He was sleeping before Peter gathered up his things and left to go back to the hospital.

When Neal woke up later, he stretched and grinned at the memory of Peter's surprise visit. It left him feeling loved and secure, not nearly as upset as he had been earlier. He got up and dressed and began to work on his paper for Ms. Berrigan.

When his phone buzzed, he was surprised to see that it was Diana Berrigan calling him. The reason she was calling was to ask Neal to return to work the following day. She informed him, "It seems that Julianna is awake and she is asking for you. Her family has requested that you be assigned to care for her."

Neal was thrilled and thanked his instructor for calling him. He requested, "Please tell her I'll look forward to seeing her first thing in the morning."

Ms. Berrigan pointed out, "She will be a challenging patient for you, Neal. She needs sophisticated nursing care. It will be a good learning experience for you."

Neal gratefully accepted the responsibility and agreed to study some of the techniques he would need. He apologized again for his indiscretion with the reporter and promised he would not let it happen again.

When Peter got home, Neal insisted on bringing out the rest of the champagne so they could celebrate his reinstatement. Peter affectionately offered a toast. A knock on the door interrupted them and Mozzie burst in. He declared, "Ooh, I know you weren't going to have a party without me!"

Neal poured out the last glass and the three of them drank and gossiped about rumors Mozzie had heard at the hospital. He gloated, "I would have loved to see Adler's face when Julianna's family asked for you, Neal!"

Peter cautioned, "Just be very careful, buddy. Andrew Dawson is still threatening to file a lawsuit. I don't want to see you get mixed up in that."

"Maybe she won't go along with it if she gets well," Neal speculated. "I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."

Peter recounted a funny story about his paranoid patient Jason Lang developing a crush on Taryn Vandersant and insisting that she be his new food taster. Neal felt warm and cheery from the champagne and the supportive company.

Mozzie stayed for dinner and the three friends shared another bottle of wine with their food. As soon as Mozzie left, Neal cuddled up to Peter and began pulling his clothes off. Peter was amused and questioned, "Didn't you have enough sex this afternoon?"

Neal gave him a sloppy kiss and replied sassily, "What is enough sex? Anyway, it's your turn."

They fell into bed and Peter sighed, "You make me so happy, Neal. Do you know how much I love you?"

Neal grinned and mumbled into his neck, "Tell me again. I love to hear it."


	11. Chapter 11

Neal was pleased to see that Julianna was awake whe he entered her room and a little light had come back into her eyes. He winked and said cheerily, "Hi princess. How are you feeling?"

She smiled shyly and confessed, "I missed you, Neal. I was awfully sick. I was afraid I was going to die."

"Well, we're not going to let anything like that happen. We're going to get you over this infection so you can get strong enough for more chemo," Neal reassured. "That will be a piece of cake after everything you've just been through!"

Julianna's energy was fading fast, but she gave him another little smile. "You'll take care of me, won't you? I feel safe with you."

Neal took her hand and gazed at her fondly. He promised, "I'm going to take extra special care of you. Why don't you go ahead and nap now while I check on your blood values?"

She was already sleeping by the time he finished his sentence. Neal applied himself to familiarizing himself with the latest developments in her case and the instructions for her care. He went out to the Nurses Station to prepare her medications.

Taryn came out of Jason Lang's room and swore jokingly, "I could kill you, Caffrey. I just finished tasting Jason's breakfast for him."

"You can't be too careful," teased Neal. "I hear he's taken quite a liking to you. You told me you thought he was good looking."

Head Nurse Sara Ellis smiled at them and remarked, "It's good to have you back, Neal. Please let me know if you have any questions about Julianna's care. Dr. Hughes wants her handled very carefully."

Neal answered, "Don't worry. I'll take good care of our princess."

When he returned to her room, Neal was surprised to see another masked and gowned figure just leaving. He asked Julianna, "Was that a visitor or some other hospital worker?"

She blinked sleepily and replied, "I'm not sure. She just wanted to check on how I was doing."

Neal made a note in her medical record and decided he would find out later who it was. He gave his delicate patient her breathing treatment and then started cleaning and treating the sores on her skin.

After a busy morning, Neal didn't see Peter around so he went to lunch with Taryn and Lauren. Mozzie mysteriously appeared to join them.

Neal was amused by Mozzie's crush on Lauren, which was obviously not returned. Now that Taryn had stopped trying to seduce Neal, he found her irreverent, eblullient manner to be fun.

After lunch, as Neal checked Julianna's temperature and blood pressure, she mentioned, "That lady was here again to visit me. She's nice. Did you know my uncle has actually been threatening to sue the hospital because of my infection?"

Neal wondered whether Vincent Adler had sent someone up to talk to Julianna. He decided he was going to try to put a stop to it, even though Julianna didn't seem to be upset.

When Neal asked at the Nurses Station if anyone knew who had visited Julianna that day, he was met with puzzled looks. Sara reminded, "Julianna isn't supposed to have any visitors, except for her uncle, and he never comes."

"Hmm, I think I'll call Elizabeth and see if she knows anything about it," Neal mused. "I guess it could have been one of the ICU nurses, but they are supposed to stay away from her."

Before he could pursue the issue, Nate Osbourne appeared on his way to spend the afternoon with his girlfriend Penny Chase. He motioned for Neal to step aside to talk with him. Neal greeted him pleasantly, "Hi Nate. What's up? Is Penny still doing okay?"

"Well, yeah, I guess," Nate said hesitantly. "She's a little down. The chemo is taking a toll on her. I was wondering, do you think it would be okay for me to go ahead and ask Penny to marry me?"

Neal was touched that Nate was willing to make such an important commitment to someone whose future was uncertain. He poignantly remembered his own similar feelings toward Kate. He responded softly, "If you love her and you want to do that, Nate, I think you would make her very happy."

"It will make me happy, too," confided Nate. "Oh, by the way, there was a lady looking for you this morning. Did she find you?"

"What lady? Who was looking for me?" Neal asked worriedly. "I don't know who you are talking about. Do you know what she wanted?"

"Nope, but I showed her where you were working with that sick girl," Nate offered, pointing toward Julianna's room. "She had red curly hair and nice clothes. I don't know who she was or what she wanted."

Neal congratulated Nate again and wished him luck. He mentioned to Lauren what Nate told him about someone looking for him. Lauren frowned, "I didn't see her, but Neal, I wonder if could have been that reporter, Alisha Teagan."

Suddenly Neal was overcome with an angry suspicion. He growled, "If she's been bothering Julianna, I'm going to kill her."

Lauren answered, "What do you mean, Neal?" But Neal was already rushing toward Julianna's room.

Not wanting to upset her, he questioned casually, "Tell me more about the lady who visited you earlier, Julianna? Did she say her name?"

Julianna responded, "I don't think so. She just asked me how I was doing. I thought she must be someone from the hospital. She asked me if my uncle is really going to sue the hospital. I told her I didn't know."

"Okay," Neal said mildly, "It probably was. You're not supposed to have any visitors right now, though. It's too much for you. If anyone comes in while I'm not here, will you put your call button on so I can see who it is?"

Julianna agreed, "Okay, I will. I think I'm doing a little better today, don't you?"

Neal gave her a brilliant smile and replied, "Of course, my princess, and you are going to feel better every day from now on."

While Neal was completing his notes at the Nurses Station at the end of his shift, Sara Ellis approached him with a newspaper in her hand. She said ominously, "Neal, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Before she could continue, Neal saw Diana Berrigan and Peter approaching with serious expressions on their faces. With a sense of foreboding, he wondered, "Hey, what's going on? Has something happened?"

Sara held out the newspaper to him and he was chagrined to see a photo of himself having lunch in the cafeteria with Taryn and Lauren and Mozzie. The headline read, **_"MRSA Patient Recovering But Uncle Is Threatening Lawsuit"_**.

The article went on to give Julianna's full name and disclosed that student nurse Neal Caffrey was exclusively assigned to care for her at the family's request. It strongly implied that Neal was romantically involved with his pretty young patient. It also made it look like Neal was the source of information for the article.

Neal gasped, "What?! Oh no! I can't believe it. How did this happen?" Then he remembered the mysterious woman who had asked Nate about him and visited Julianna dressed in an isolation gown and hat and mask. He threatened furiously, "She won't get away with this!"

Peter came over and stood next to him, murmuring, "Neal, calm down. We'll find out how she got this information."

A tall well groomed professional looking man in a dark Brooks Brothers pinstriped suit walked up and said grimly, "I'm Attorney Andrew Dawson and I would like to have that information myself."

Neal gulped, "I think I know. I'm pretty sure that reporter sneaked in here and slipped into Julianna's room as a visitor. She must have been following me so that's how she knew when I wasn't in the room."

Everyone stared at him, but the conversation was halted by a plaintive cry for help coming from Jason Lang's room. Neal's eyes widened as he realized, "That's Taryn! Peter, quick! We need to see what's going on!"

They raced over to Jason's room to discover him holding Taryn with his hands tightly around her neck. Jason warned tersely, "Don't anyone come near me. She tried to poison me. Now I have to kill her. Don't try to stop me. She deserves it."

Taryn stared at them helplessly, her eyes wide with fear.


	12. Chapter 12

Neal stepped forward with his hands out in front of him. He placated, "Hey, Jason. It's me Neal, your bodyguard. Why don't you let me take care of her for you?"

"No. Stay back," warned Jason. "You'll let her go. She tried to poison me. I'm going to kill her."

Neal pleaded, "Jason, please. Let me do it for you. You're sick. You'll hurt yourself. I'm going to move closer now. Let go of Taryn and let me take her."

Taryn's eyes watered as she stared at Neal. Jason was hurting her neck. She had given him his medication and, because of the nausea caused by his chemo, he vomited. He became enraged and grabbed her with surprising strength. It took her by complete surprise.

Peter stepped behind Neal and pressed a syringe full of tranquilizer into his hand. Neal nodded curtly without turning around. He moved another step closer, cajoling, "Come on, you can trust me. I'm your bodyguard, remember?"

Jason wavered for a moment and Neal quickly moved in and wrenched Taryn away from him. Peter grabbed her and hustled her away. Neal held Jason's arm tightly and plunged the injection into his muscle.

Jason looked at him with shocked betrayed eyes and whined, "You tricked me! Was that more poison?"

Neal soothed, "No, no, Jason. That was the antidote for the poison. You'll feel better in a minute, you'll see. Now let's get you back to bed."

As Neal maneuvered his distraught patient back into bed, the medication began to take effect. Jason looked up at Neal with confusion in his eyes. He asked fearfully, "Are you sure I'm going to be okay?"

"I'm positive," Neal assured him compassionately. "You just relax now. You're going to be fine."

Sara suggested quietly, "Neal, I think we are going to need to restrain him."

Neal replied, "He'll be asleep in a minute. I can put the restraints on him then. That way it won't scare him again."

Neal stayed beside Jason as his eyes closed, his body relaxed, and his breathing evened out. Then he accepted the wrist restraints, put them on, and secured them loosely to the bed.

When Neal stepped out of the room, Taryn flung herself into his arms. She gushed, "Neal, you saved me! He was going to strangle me."

"Well, I kind of sympathized with him," Neal joked, "but I knew you didn't poison him. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"A little, just some bruising, I think. He's really strong!" Taryn exclaimed. "You can be his bodyguard if you want to, but I'm staying away from him!"

Ms. Berrigan congratulated Neal on his calm quick thinking intervention and told him she was proud of him.

Peter chuckled and suggested, "Come on, hero. Isn't your shift over anyway?"

Neal suddenly remembered the newspaper story and the Laszlo attorney and looked around for him. Sara noticed and informed him, "Mr. Dawson was very impressed with your quick brave action. He said to tell you he would talk to you tomorrow."

"Oh, so I'm still in trouble because of that reporter, I guess," Neal pouted. "I can't even believe she sneaked in here."

Sara speculated, "I don't know, Neal. Maybe not. Mr. Dawson said he was going to talk to Adler, but he didn't seem like he was angry at you."

"Okay, well, Peter's right. It's time for me to get out of here," Neal sighed. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow how much trouble I'm in."

Taryn gave him a kiss on his cheek and thanked him again. Neal blushed and laughed, "Aw shucks, ma'am. It weren't nothin'."

Peter decided to walk Neal out. When the elevator opened, Kyle Bancroft, head of hospital security, stepped out. He inquired, "What's going on up on this floor? I got a couple of calls about a reporter sneaking into a patient's room and a patient strangling a nurse."

Peter and Neal guffawed and pointed him toward the Nurses Station. They stepped onto the elevator and quickly punched the button for the ground floor. Before they got to the door of the hospital, Mozzie rushed up and demanded to know everything that had happened.

Neal brushed Peter's hand apologetically and replied, "Mozzie, I'm going home. Peter will give you the abbreviated version."

Later that evening, after they enjoyed a late dinner that Neal had prepared for them, Peter teased, "Don't ever sic Mozzie on me again. I can't believe you did that!"

"Yeah, sorry. I felt a little overwhelmed once the adrenaline rush was over. I just couldn't go over it all again right then," Neal said contritely. "I knew you could handle it."

Peter smiled sweetly, "Anything for you, my love. Are you okay now? Are you worried about what will happen tomorrow?"

"I'm too tired to worry about anything tonight," Neal sighed. "Anyway, at least I know I didn't do anything wrong this time."

"I talked to Elizabeth after you left," confided Peter. "She thinks everything is going to work out okay."

"Mmm, that's good," Neal murmured and nuzzled Peter's neck affectionately. "Jason Lang sure went crazy, didn't he? I did not expect that."

"Well, his brain tumor is affecting his thinking. You reacted very effectively. Poor Taryn was scared to death. You'll be her favorite person now," Peter chuckled.

Neal moaned, "I hope she doesn't start making romantic overtures again. We had finally gotten past that!"

Peter said good naturedly, "She can't help it if you're too cute to resist, but she must know by now that you belong to me."

Neal smiled happily, "I love being yours. I want everyone to know it. You're mine, too, and don't you forget it for a minute."

"Okay," Peter agreed placidly. "You go ahead and get ready for bed now and I'll clean up the kitchen. It's my turn."

Neal teased, "We're becoming so domestic! I hope all the romance hasn't gone out of our relationship already."

Peter thrilled him by grabbing him pressing a romantic kiss on his mouth. He growled, "Not quite yet!"

The following morning, Mozzie greeted Peter and Neal as they entered the hospital. He had obviously been looking out for them and, with a huge grin on his face, he anxiously pressed a newspaper into Neal's hands.

There were two lead headlines. One read, **_"Student Nurse Rescues Colleague From Paranoid Patient"_**. The second said, **_"Star Reporter Is Fired"_**.

Peter leaned over Neal's shoulder as they both perused the stories. It seemed that Attorney Andrew Dawson had been so impressed by Neal's heroic action, that he had decided Julianna's family would not sue the hospital. However, he and Vincent Adler had called the publisher of the newspaper and complained about Alisha Teagan's nefarious actions. They demanded that she be let go immediately.

Neal smiled broadly, "Wow! Really? That really is some good news, for once."

Up on the Oncology floor, Neal was greeted as a hero. Sara told him that Jason had slept peacefully through the night and Taryn had taken a day off to recover from her ordeal. Neal cheerfully donned his isolation gear and went into Julianna's room to begin her morning care.

He was shocked to find her uncle sitting with her, all gowned and gloved. He rose when he saw Neal and stuck out his gloved hand. He said gratefully, "Mr. Caffrey, I want to thank you personally for everything you have done for Julianna."

Neal winked at his smiling patient and replied, "It's my pleasure. I'm so happy that Julianna is responding well to her treatment. She's going to overcome both the infection and her lymphoma. I admire her strength."

Julianna's eyes shone as she declared, "Neal is my knight in shiny armor. He has taken such good care of me. He's never given up on me for a minute."

Neal looked down at the paper gown covering his clothing and laughed, "This armor isn't very shiny. Don't worry, princess, I'm going to stay right here with you until you are well again."

"Are you sure you are not really my handsome prince?" the sick young woman flirted.

"No, I'm not," Neal responded fondly, "but whoever he is will be a very lucky guy."

**Author's Note:**

> _The White Collar characters were originally developed by Jeff Eastin for the series on USA TV._


End file.
